


Unlikely Heroes

by Silvermyr



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con and fitting punishment, Gen, Hearthfire DLC, Redemption for a poor redguard girl, Saja is from a mod, Sibling Bonding through adventure, sibling adventure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-02-25 22:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18710923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvermyr/pseuds/Silvermyr
Summary: When the Dragonborn’s wife is kidnapped, his four adopted children are not going to sit idly by. They have all lost their families once, and they would rather go to oblivion before letting it happen again. As such, the four children of Skyrim’s legendary hero set out on an adventure of their own to rescue their new mother and maybe become a little closer in the process.This is the tale of Braith's, Lucia's, Aventus Arentno's and Saja the Khajiit's very first adventure.





	1. Chapter One- In the Dead of Night

Her breaths came hard, her shoulders and hands ached from holding the pitch-black sword. She could see the tip of her blade shake and snarled in anger at it. With a powerful force of will, she forced her hands to grip the handle firmer. The tip stopped wiggling, even if she felt like her fingers were being crushed from staying closed around the weight. ”Hraaa!” she shouted and swung the sword in a wide, wild arch.

Lydia effortlessly sidestepped Braith’s clumsy swing and tapped her shoulder with a wooden blade. ”Dead,” she said with an amused look.

”It’s no fair!” Braith stomped her foot angrily and dropped her sword on the floor with a clatter. ”You are so much taller than me! You can kill me the moment I come close!”

”I have told you before that just rushing into a battle is certain to get you killed,” Lydia explained for the umpteenth time. The housecarl’s patience was nearly infinite. ”When you are fighting an enemy with greater reach than you, let him or her make the first move, block it or dodge it, and then strike when he is recovering.”

”I can’t block with this sword,” Braith defended. ”It’s too heavy.”

Lydia smirked. Not only was Braith using a one-handed sword as a two handed weapon, but Braith had never bothered much with trying to block even when she used the wooden practice blade. ”Do you want to go back to the wooden sword then?”

”NO!” Braith screamed, angry at the mere idea. ”I can do this! I’ll show you!”

”If that’s what you want, we’ll continue tomorrow,” Lydia said. ”No, I have other duties,” she added when she saw Braith opening her mouth to protest. ”Practice on the dummies if you want.”

”Actually, if my little Dovah is done, I have something for her,” a new voice interjected.

Any residue anger immediately left Braith’s face. ”Pa! You’re home! Did you see me train?” She ran up and hugged him, though she only reached up to his stomach. As an Altmer, her new father was much taller than her. Still, the force with which she slammed into him was enough to make him take a step back.

”Yes, I saw you train,” he said and put a hand on her back, giving her a gentle hug as to not accidentally hurt her. He was still clad in his traveling gear, and some of the enchantments were a bit volatile. ”Lydia killed you twice that I saw. But I’m surprised you were as quick as you are with that blade. Ebony is much heavier than steel.”

”Which is why I train with it! When I’ve mastered an ebony sword, all others will be way easier! I’ll be the best swordswoman in all of Tamriel!”

”She does show promise, my thane,” Lydia said. ”She is strong for her age. I bet if she keeps this up she will become quite deadly with a sword.”

”Hmm… Maybe I should let the Companions know they might soon have a student to take on then,” Pa said. Braith smiled. When she lived in Whiterun with her old father, before the siege, everyone knew that the Companions were the best fighters in all of Skyrim. That would be a fine start to become the very best. ”But either way, come with me up to the dining hall. I want to see you all.”

All smiles, Braith picked up the ebony sword and put it back on the weapons rack. The dummies would be spared her wrath for another day. Then she dashed up the stairs despite having endured an hour’s long practice session with Lydia. Like with any child her age, her energy was virtually limitless.

The others were already gathered around the banquet table. Her new mother, Brelyna Maryon, sat at one of the two stairs at the short end of the table. Braith’s own seat was next to hers on the long end. ”Oh, hello Braith. How did your training go?”

”It went fine, mom,” Braith answered. She liked her new mother more than her old. Despite looking strange with her ashen skin and blood-red eyes, Brelyna always listened to her and tried to help if she could. Braith’s old mother had never helped her with anything.

Around the rest of the table sat her siblings. Mom and Pa did not have any children of their own, so all four of them had been adopted. Despite this, Braith did actually know her youngest sister, who sat next to her by the table, since before the Dragonborn adopted her. Lucia was two years younger than Braith and was both smaller and thinner than she was. Both then and now Braith considered her younger sister a bit of a crybaby and weakling as Lucia almost never trained with any weapons at all. She was, however, the only one of the four who had any talent with magic. Braith did her best not to dislike her new sister, despite her being such a whimp and also for making her parents, who were both prominent mages, so happy.

Straight across from Braith sat her only brother. Aventus Aretino was a quiet boy who usually minded his own business. There was something sad and serious over him most of the time, and he could often be found staring out a window or sitting in his room with his nose in a book. Still, despite his relative seclusion they were good friends and often trained together with Lydia, even if Aventus preferred daggers to swords. They were the same age and about the same length, so he was a good sparring partner.

Braith glanced over to the place next to Aventus, and like always she had to stop herself from staring. No matter how long they had lived together, Braith still could not quite get used to having a _Khajiit_ as a sister. Saja was the smallest of the four children, thinner than even Lucia despite being a year older. Her eyes were clear blue and her coat was gray with black spots. Braith liked Saja, as the cunning Khajiit had a sense of humor and pranks that Braith enjoyed to partake in.

She was also very, very soft.

”You may serve us now, Sven,” The Dragonborn said as he sat down on the fine chair next to his wife. The two turned to one another and shared a kiss. Braith smirked at the grimace Saja made when her parents’ attention was diverted.

”Immediately,” Sven the steward said and left the room. He returned soon with steaming plates. Braith could not see what it was until he put them down in front of her, but she was certainly not disappointed. She had never once been disappointed in the food since she was adopted. No matter how one looked at it, pheasant, moose and mammoth steak with watered down mead was certainly better than cabbage or leek soup six days a week with only rainwater to drink.

The custom in Skyrim was that the highest ranking individual had the best share of the food, so normally Pa and Mom would take their food first. The Dragonborn had quickly abolished that rule in his household, so Braith reached for the closest pheasant and took a generous helping, complete with root vegetables and broth before passing the plate to Lucia. Sven returned with a small bowl and put it down next to Saja.

”Khajiit thanks you,” she said and took a few orange-brown crystals and sprinkled over her food. Pa said that Saja needed to eat a little bit of ”Moon Sugar” every day, and that it was poisonous for everyone but her. Braith did not really understand it, but she did not care either.

”Where were you, Pa?” Aventus asked. ”You left in a hurry last Morndas.”

”I’m sorry for that. I suppose that is the problem with being the Thane in every hold of the province. I was in the Whiterun Hold. Renegade mages had infested Fellglow Keep and were threatening the merchants from Morthal. Apparently Jarl Idgrod could not send her own guards but wanted me there too. Wanted to ’send them a message’, apparently. What did I miss here?”

”Why don’t you tell him, Lucia?” Mom said with a smile to Braith’s little sister. Braith subtly rolled her eyes. She saw that Saja did the same.

”Well… I… I managed to heal Meeko from a thorn wound,” Lucia said quietly. ”I think I like the school of restoration the most. It just… comes to me, somehow.”

”Because you are so kind, I bet,” Pa said proudly. ”Magic responds naturally to what is in our hearts. If you want to help, your magic responds to let you help. I am proud of you, my little Brii.”

”Very impressive,” Argis, one of the housecarls said from his place further down the table. ”But I must say that Saja continues to impress me with her archery skills. With my Thane’s approval, I’d like to take her with me the next time I go for a hunt.”

”You mean it?” Saja’s eyes all but glittered and her ears immediately perked up. ”Oh, Pa can I go?”

”If Argis says you are ready, then you are,” Pa answered and shifted his focus to the housecarl. ”I trust you will protect her as you protect me?”

”Always, my Thane,” Argis said and took a gulp from his tankard.

The dinner proceeded in a familial spirit. Her parents eventually drifted into talking about magical theory and the housecarls soon took to discussing news and politics in their various home holds. By the time the leftover sweet rolls were carried out by Sven, the four siblings had exhausted most of their topics. Braith was the first to get up from her chair.

”I’m full now. I’ll go play with Meeko.”

”Me too,” Lucia said. ”To see that he is still alright after my magic.” Braith rolled her eyes again, but did not say anything as she and her sister left the table.

”My Thane!”

Both Braith and Lucia stopped and turned to the dining hall’s main door. There stood Jordis, another of Pa’s housecarls and the one who had the guard during dinner on this day. ”A courier has asked to see you. Says he carries an urgent message from Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun.”

Pa sighed. ”Fine… show him in.”

Jordis glanced over her shoulder and nodded. A thin man stepped into the room and handed a small note to Pa. He read it quickly. ”Dinok,” he spat. It was Dragon language for death, Braith knew. Whatever the letter said it was not good.

”Bad news, my love?” Mom asked.

”No, just annoying. Jarl Balgruuf wants to know what happened in Fellglow. Something about it being in his hold and his jurisdiction. You!” Pa looked with badly masked annoyance at the courier. ”I was in Whiterun all last day! Why did I get this just now?”

”I would not know m’lord,” the courier answered nervously. ”The Jarl’s political advisor gave it to me this afternoon, and I delivered it as fast as I could.”

”Why Am I not surprised this is all Nazeem’s fault?” Pa said with an exasperated voice. ”I’m sorry my love, but I have to go again. Promise I will make it up to you once I return.”

”If I could not love you for all you do for Skyrim, then what wife would I be?” Mom answered, but her voice had a resigned ring to it.

*****

Hours later, Braith sluggishly woke up in her bed. She yawned and looked around. The room was pitch black in the night, with only the silvery streams of moonlight shining through her window and illuminating the lower part of her bed. Lucia was still sleeping soundly in the bed on the other side of the room.

She was just about to mumble a profanity at her disturbed sleep when she heard something heavy thump into the other side of her wall, causing her to startle. Her bed stood just by the wall to the master’s bedroom. Why would mother throw stuff against the wall? Braith pulled her covers off of her and quietly slipped out of bed, dressed in her nightgown. Tiptoeing, she opened her door and peered out in the blackened corridor.

It was deserted. Braith pushed the door open and quietly creeped up on the door to mother’s room.

”Braith?”

She jumped in surprise and whirled around, fists raised.

Saja’s big, blue eyes seemed almost luminescent in the blackness. ”Did you hear something too?” she whispered.

”Yea,” Braith whispered back. ”Think there is something wrong with mom?”

Saja folded her ears down and sideways. ”No, I heard footsteps. Right outside my door.”

”Probably just one of the housecarls,” Braith said. Saja shook her head.

”They were sneaking. I almost didn’t hear them.”

”Don’t you hear like… really well?” Braith asked. Saja nodded. Suddenly Braith felt much more apprehensive. No one was supposed to be sneaking around in their house, and Pa was not home. She swallowed down her worry. She was Pa’s little Dovah, the little dragon girl. She could not be afraid. She pushed open Mom’s bedroom door.

”Mom? Are you…!” She narrowly managed to duck from an urn flying towards her. Still covering with her arms over her head she struggled to take in the scene she saw.

Her mother was struggling alone against three large men, their faces obscured by black cowls. One of them stood behind her and held a hand over her mouth and tried his best to keep her still. Another held both her mom’s hands together for the third to tie up with heavy leather straps. Crackling bolts of electricity jumped between mother’s fingers, but caught like she was she had no chance of aiming them correctly.

”Mom!” Braith shrieked, all her previous apprehension breaking forth into fully grown fear. She stood rooted on the spot and stared. Both her mom and her assailants turned to her.

The one who held his hand over mom’s mouth suddenly screamed and pulled away his hand. ”Braith! RUN! GET THE HOUSECARLmmm!” The assailant clamped his had over her mouth again.

”No point in trying to be quiet anymore I suppose,” one of the assailants said. An acid-green light began to glow in his hand. Spending so much time among her mage parents, Braith recognized it instantly. She wanted to scream, but she could not find her voice in the panic. With an empty sound, her mother was covered by a green light and fell to the floor, stiff as a plank. ”Let’s get out of here before any more problems show up.”

”You’re not getting my mom!” Saja screamed just next to Braith. She saw how the Khajiit’s claws were extended and gleaming in the moonlight.

”That’s right! I’m not afraid of you!” Braith shouted defiantly and rushed towards the bandits. She did not know what to do, but she could not do nothing! She was not going to lose her family again!

”Stupid girl,” one of the bandits spat and aimed a kick at Braith. She saw it coming and dodged to the left, suddenly glad for all those street fights she had fought and won in the back alleys of Whiterun. She swung her fist into the bandit’s stomach. She almost managed to suppress the whimper in her throat as her hand struck metal. She felt a hard hand close around her neck. She screamed and twisted to free herself, aiming kicks and strikes at his shins and pelvis. The armor was not even dented by her furious assault.

The bandit roughly shoved her away head first into a dresser. A flaring pain exploded in her head and the entire room seemed to spin. Dazed and groaning she saw how Saja hissed and threw herself at the bandit, who took a step backwards and swore as her razor-sharp claws slashed long gorges in the black shirt he wore over the armor. ”Get out of our way, stupid hairball.” one of the bandits said harshly and stepped towards Saja. She slunk back, her initial bravery yielding to paralyzing fear. ”You’re lucky I’m in a hurry, or you’d be sorry for getting in my way,” the bandit hissed, roughly caught Saja by the neck and all but threw her straight across the room and into Mom’s nightstand. ”Let’s get going.”

Braith pushed herself up and stumbled towards the bandits as they disappeared with her paralyzed mom, but the entire room still swayed after the blow to her head. ”Stop!” she shouted. Half falling and half running she careened out into the corridor just as the last bandit began to climb out a window. She heard horses nicker outside. ”No! Stop!”

”MOMMY!”


	2. Chapter Two- The Crack of Dawn

The next morning the four children sat together in Aventus’s room. Braith and Saja were both bruised from the scuffle earlier, but neither of them cared. They were alone. The Housecarls were still out hunting the kidnappers, having pursued them from the moment they understood what was going on. They had even broughtMeeko to help them search. 

None of the children had said much. Lucia had been crying when she understood what happened, and now after the adrenaline had subsided, Saja did not seem to be far from tears herself. Aventus sat with his neck bent and stared into the floor in front of him. 

And then there was Braith. She paced the floor with angry, sharp movements, sat down on the bed only to stand up again and resume her pacing. Her fists were shaking and a scowl was etched into her face. ”That’s it! I can’t wait around here anymore,” she exclaimed finally. She turned towards the door.

”Where are you going?” Lucia asked weakly. ”Braith!?” She sprang up and rushed after her sister. Aventus and Saja looked at each other before they followed too. Neither of them wanted to let anyone out of sight at a time like this. Braith went into Mom and Pa’s bedroom. It was still in disarray, only worse now that the calamity could be seen in daylight. ”Braith, what are you doing!?”

”I’m gonna find out where they took mommy, and then I’ll take her back!”

”No! We won’t stand a chance against them!” Lucia said, her eyes gleaming with fresh tears. ”The housecarls will find Mom. Or Pa! We just have to wait… everything will be fine if we let them handle this, right?”

”Shut up, crybaby!” Braith snapped at Lucia, who backed away. Braith followed and grabbed her little sister by the scruff of her derss. ”I have already lost my mommy once, and I’m not going through that again, you hear me!? You can stay if you want, but I’m pa’s little Dovah! I’m not going to just sit and hope!”

”Braith, let her go!” Aventus said sharply. 

A haze seemed to lift from her eye. Suddenly, Braith saw Lucia sob in fear and sorrow. She let her go, and Lucia slumped to the ground. Aventus took her in a hug. ”The Housecarls took off immediately. They never searched this room. Maybe there is something here that can help them find mom,” he said. ”And I agree with Braith on one thing: I can’t just sit around and do nothing anymore.” 

”Me too,” Saja whispered. Her tail hung limp behind her and her ears laid almost flat on her head. 

Aventus fixed a meaningful look on Braith and gently let go of Lucia. Then he backed away to look over some of the calamity together with Saja. Braith sat down in front of her younger sister. ”Sorry, Lucia. I didn’t mean to call you a crybaby.”

”I don’t care what you call me, I just want my Mommy and Pa back,” Lucia said with a thick voice. ”I don’t want to beg on the streets again. I can’t…! Not again!”

”You won’t,” Braith said and dabbed Lucia’s wet cheek’s with a small piece of cloth she found on the floor. Lucia managed a threadbare smile, which suddenly morphed to confusion. She grabbed Braith’s hand. 

”Where did you get that?” she asked and turned Braith’s hand upwards. She picked up the piece of cloth. It was black on one side, but the other one was… yellow. A type of yellow both girls recognized instantly. 

”This is from Whiterun, from one of the guard’s tabards,” they both said at the same time. 

”What?” Aventus took the piece of cloth and examined it. ”Are you sure?”

”Both Lucia and I have lived nearly all our lives in Whiterun. We’d recognize that anywhere,” Braith said. ”But… why is it here? Where did it come from?”

”Khajiit did slash at them last night,” Saja said. ”Maybe that’s where it came from? They wore black clothes… but maybe they had just turned the tabard inside out?”

”If that was it… then it means those men came from Whiterun!” Braith exclaimed. ”I bet they are holding mom in Whiterun!”

”I doubt it,” Aventus said. ”Don’t you get it? That letter Pa got yesterday? The courier was probably in on this too; it must have been a fake to lure him away! The letter called him to Whiterun, so there is no chance they would hide mother there.”

”But this cloth came from one of Whiterun’s guards,” Lucia said. ”At least one of them must be in on it somehow.”

Braith waited for Aventus’s response. The boy finally nodded. ”Yea… it seems like they are.”

”So… then we wait for the housecarls and pa to come home, we tell them, and then they save mother for us, right?” Lucia asked hopefully.

”No, we go to Whiterun,” Braith said. ”The housecarls are sworn to protect Mom and Pa with their lives. They won’t return here until they have gotten her back, even if they must turn every stone in Skyrim to find her. Pa too. The first thing the housecarls would do is to tell him about this. Then he will have some nanny come and look after us while he searches on his own! Face it, no one will come back to listen to us. Our best bet is to go to Whiterun ourselves and find Mom. Or Pa, to tell him about this.”

”We could travel to Whiterun,” Aventus said. ”We have been there with Mom and Pa many times before. It’s not a very long journey.”

”If we took our horses we would be there in the afternoon,” Braith said. ”I bet Pa would still be there then, and he can definitely find mom!”

”Khajiit thinks we should go then,” Saja said. ”After all help mom and father has given us, don’t you think we should help them too?”

Lucia still looked afraid, but bent her head in reluctant agreement. ”Okay… let’s… let’s go to Whiterun.”

Braith stood up. ”’Kay, let’s pack what we need. I’ll saddle our horses.” The other children stood up too and dispersed to find what they needed. 

 

*****

 

Half an hour later, the four children assembled by the manor’s stables and loaded their saddlebags with supplies for their journey. As the children of the Dragonborn, they had each received a pony as an adoption present, and they were all decent enough riders at this point. They had also changed clothing. No one, not even children, were naive enough to believe any road in Skyrim to be entirely safe, especially not for four children with valuable horses. As such, both Braith and Aventus were dressed in their custom made armor- Moonstone inlaid with malachite, commonly called glass in Skyrim. It was both tough enough to offer protection and light enough for a child to wear. Braith had the ebony sword from yesterday strapped over her back, and Aventus had two daggers in his belt. Braith recognized one of them to be a weapon her father called Nettlebane.

Saja, who was even thinner and smaller than her siblings, instead wore a leather armor with metal rivets. On her back she had a short bow, and in her belt hung a quiver of glass arrows. Lucia, meanwhile, still wore a dress and only had a glass dagger in her belt. Braith wanted to roll her eyes, but she also knew that Lucia had always hated violence and never practiced with weapons, so she could not say she was surprised. She was also the only one of them who preferred to ride her horse in sidesaddle.

The four of them took one final look in their saddlebags. Map, a little bit of food, and a bag of septims. This was not a long excursion, and they needed to travel quickly.

”Okay, let’s move. We want to reach Whiterun before afternoon so we are sure to get a room at the Bannered Mare to sleep,” Braith said and climbed up on her pony. She snapped gently with the rains and spurred her horse slightly, and they were off. 

They stretched out in a line with Braith taking point, followed by Saja, then Lucia and Aventus at the rear. Before long, they had left the city of Falkreath behind and were surrounded by the tall trees typical to the southern part of Skyrim. The sky was white-gray and the air was chilly, even if her armor and high quality clothing afforded Braith good protection from the cold. 

They rode on in silence. While they all enjoyed outings like this normally, there was nothing normal about their situation. Their mother, one of the very cornerstones of their new lives had been kidnapped, and they had information that might be vital to her recovery. Not even Saja, the mischievous Khajiit, could lighten their moods. Instead, they just rode silently through Falkreath hold, each one lost in their own thought. A light drizzle began to fall.

”Hold up!” Saja suddenly said. Her ears twitched and swiveled to catch a sound none of the others could hear. She reached back and withdrew an arrow. ”Wolves.”

Braith took a deep breath. Pa always said that wolves were strong and quick, but any armored warrior had little to fear from them. She held in her horse and jumped down, withdrawing her sword from her back. ”Where are they?”

Saja listened. ”I think… in there somewhere.” She pointed into a thick shrubbery, lifted her bow and nocked an arrow. She did not draw the bow though. She was not strong enough to hold it for very long.

”Lucia, forward,” Aventus said and urged his own horse up next to his sister’s. ”We should keep close together.” Lucia nodded and urged her own horse forward. 

Suddenly, Saja drew back her arrow and fired into the shrubbery just as a hulking canine burst out, jaws open and slick with saliva. Braith took a step backwards, surprised and intimidated by the speed and ferocity of the attack. The arrow caught the wolf in the shoulder, cutting of the carnal growl with a painful, but not deadly shot. The wolf stumbled but continued towards its closest prey. Braith swallowed down her heartbeat and held the sword horizontally in front of her, both her hands on the shaft. The wolf came fast, but her reflexes were faster. She caught the wolf’s teeth on the sword and took a step back for stability. Still, she was shocked by how heavy the wolf was. She had caught it as it leaped at her, so the weight of the hulking, snarling and biting animal was focused on her arms. She was already struggling to keep the beast away from her. Clenching her jaw, she pushed with her entire body. With a cracking sound, the wolf’s fags suddenly broke and Braith’s sword cut into the wolf’s skull and brain.

A shriek attracted Braith’s attention. She had been so focused on her own battle she did not realize that another two wolves had emerged from the undergrowth. And they had both decided to gang up on Lucia’s horse. Aventus had dismounted and held both his daggers securely in his hands. He and one wolf was circling each other. Saja had another arrow nocked and waited for a clear shot. Lucia was still on her horse, holding one hand on the pommel of her saddle and the other one gleamed with magic. She was the one who had shrieked as the last of the wolves barked and snapped after her legs. Braith pulled her sword out of the wolf and stepped towards the remaining enemies.

”Don’t touch me! STAY AWAY!” Lucia screamed and kicked after the wolf. The magic in her hand became red. ”STAY AWAY FROM ME!” she shrieked and sent a red blot of magic flying at the wolf.At the same time the second wolf snarled and jumped at Aventus, who nimbly sidestepped and jabbed both his daggers into its side. The wolf whimpered, mortally wounded but still alive for the moment. Mad with pain, it whirled and snapped after the now unarmed boy.

”No you don’t!” Saja screamed and let her arrow fly, hitting the wolf cleanly in its open mouth. The last wolf whimpered and rushed back into the forest, tail between its legs and its eyes gleaming with the telltale glow of illusion magic.

The last wolf sunk to the ground and stopped breathing. Braith lowered her sword, hands shaking with adrenaline. ”We… we won…?” she said, more a question than a statement.

”A-are you all okay?” Saja asked. She looked at the arrow protruding from the wolf’s mouth as if trying to convince herself it was safe to retrieve it. 

”Yea,” Aventus said and reclaimed his daggers. ”Braith? Lucia?”

”I’m fine,” Braith said. Lucia did not answer. She sat on her horse with both her hands over her mouth. She suddenly jumped off, fell to her knees and bent her head into a nearby flower patch. The other three could see her heaving and hear how she emptied her stomach in the flowers. Aventus shook his head and retrieved his water skin from his horse. When Lucia staggered up, pale and wide-eyed, he handed it to her without a word.

”Thanks,” she said shakily. She washed her mouth. ”We… aren’t turning back, are we?” she asked with a resigned tone. She knew there was no talking Braith out of anything she had decided to do. 

”I’m not gonna let a couple of overgrown dogs keep me from mother!” Braith bit her off and climbed back up on her horse. 

Lucia made an unhappy sound but returned to her own horse nonetheless. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most author's love feedback.


	3. Chapter Three- Whiterun

They had brought a bit of gold, but not enough to have the stableboy take care of all their horses. As such, they left them grazing just by the rampart leading up to Whiterun. The horses would be fine there, and the risk of bandits daring to go that close to a fortified city was practically zero. Also, concealed behind a low wall, everyone except for Lucia changed out of the armors and into the fineries they normally wore. With all the chaos in Skyrim, any four children showing up alone at the gate would be either be refused or mistaken for refugees and then refused. But a show of wealth would probably be enough to get them in.

Thus dressed like the children of a Jarl, they went up to the gate. Braith looked with contempt at the heavy oak doors. This city had been the site of many bleak years in her life. She also knew there was a risk/chance that she ran into her old crush, Lars Battle-Born, and she could not decide weather she wanted to or not. She absently noted the two guards turning their heads as to look at them when they passed.

”Hey, what’s this?” One of the guards moved quickly and grabbed Saja’s hand. ”One of those Skooma addict thieves trying to sneak into our city? Well, don’t think those dresses are going to help you get in here. Probably stolen, the lot of them. Get back to your caravan!” The guard shoved Saja away from the gate hard enough to fell her. 

”Hey, Saja is one of the Dragonborn’s children!” Braith said and went up to the guard. ”You’d better apologize or he will have _you_ thrown out of the city.”

”Shut up, wench,” the guard spat. ”I meet ten ’the Dragonborn’s children’ every day. If the Jarl had not agreed to open the temple of Kynareth for you urchins I’d have you all barred from here. But as it is, there is no chance one of those thieves get inside our city. Get lost or I’ll have you thrown in jail.”

”No, Braith, I’ll just wait here!” Saja said before Braith could open her mouth again. ”Just find Pa! I’ll be fine.”

Braith hated the idea of backing down from a fight. She clenched her fists, then stormed off into the city. She would have that guard on his knees begging Saja for forgiveness when she had found mom and Pa. She looked back and saw Saja trudging back to the horses, her tail hanging limp and listless.

”What do we do now?” Lucia asked. ”We were supposed to sleep at the inn, but we can’t leave Saja out there all night, and we can’t get back home before dark either.”

Both Braith and Aventus froze up when they remembered that detail. ”Let’s find father first,” Aventus decided. ”I’m sure he can get Saja in. You two know this city better than me. Where would Pa be?”

”If he is talking to the Jarl, then he’d be in the Cloud District,” Lucia answered. 

”Did I hear Cloud District?” A slippery, falsely cheerful voice said just behind them. They turned around to see a Redguard man in a fine overcoat smirking down at them. ”Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what Am I saying? Of course you don’t. You are just street urchins, living off what important people like me give to you in charity. I advise the Jarl on political matters you see. But this is certainly way over your simple little minds.”

”You never give anything to anyone Nazeem,” Lucia said. Braith was taken aback by the anger of her tone. In fact, this was pretty much the first time she heard Lucia angry. 

”And how do you know that, you snot-nosed little brat?” Nazeem asked with a smile so condescending and fake as to make Braith feel sick just from seeing it. ”You should learn to be more polite to your betters, or I’ll have the guards throw you out.”

”I know, because I asked you for charity for years! You never gave me a single septim!” Lucia shouted. 

”I won’t take that from someone like you,” Nazeem said and snapped his fingers. ”Guards, remove these pests from the city!”

”For the last time, Nazeem, the Jarl has opened the city to child refugees,” a guard said from a table by the barracks. ”I can’t and won’t throw out starving children that you provoke. If you have problems with that, take it up with the Jarl.”

”Maybe I will,” Nazeem spat and strode down the street, shoving two other pedestrians out of his way as he went. Lucia was left shaking in anger.

”You run along now, kids,” the guard said. ”The Temple of Kynareth is forward, then up the stairs at the marketplace. It is the large building by the blooming tree, next to the statue of Talos.”

”Thank you, mister,” Aventus said and started walking in the implied direction. Braith and Lucia followed him until they came to the marketplace.

”I hate that guy,” Lucia said, still fuming. ”I think just about everyone else helped me out, at least sometimes, but he never once did!”

”Never mind him, Lucia, we have more important things to do,” Aventus said. ”So where do we go?”

”Up here,” Braith answered and started up the stone stairs to the wind district. The sweet fragrance of the Gildergreen tickled her senses and sparked a small pang of sadness in her heart. While her old mom and dad had never really been there for her, the scent of the Gildergreen was still one of her earliest childhood memories. She swallowed and did her best to look at anything except for that house off to her left. The house where she had been born.

Lucia went past her and sat down on her knees in front of the blooming tree. ”Kyne, hear my voice. I bid you my eternal thanks for your guidance, and I promise to light up the skies and banish the clouds of those around me as you have done for me.”

”What are you doing?” Braith asked, glad for something to distract her from gloomier topics.

”Thanking Kyne for making Pa adopt me,” Lucia answered and stood up. ”He took me in just after I had prayed at this tree once.”

”It’s Kynareth, not Kyne,” Aventus pointed out. Lucia shook her head. 

”The Nords call her Kyne. Kynareth is her imperial name. Or, that’s what Danica Pure-Spring told me.”

”Eh? Lucia, is that you?”

The three children turned to a skinny Redguard man in a dirty, threadbare shirt and trousers. On his head he had a white cap that seemed to once have been a dish towel. Braith faintly remembered seeing him around Whiterun when she lived here, even if she did not recall his name.

”Brenuin!” Lucia hugged the filthy man. ”Sorry for leaving you like that without saying good bye, but I was adopted!”

”Were ya now? Well, good to know the divines can smile on some of us,” Brenuin said, half happy half bitter. ”Don’t suppose you have any gold over for an old friend eh?”

”Sure!” Lucia produced a small pouch and handed it to the man. ”Sorry I don’t have more.”

”Still more than what most gives,” Brenuin said and quickly pocketed the gold. ”Divines bless your kind heart girl. What even brings you back here if you’ve got parents to look after you now eh?”

”We’re looking for our father, the Dragonborn,” Aventus said. ”He is supposed to be meeting with the Jarl.”

”Well I’ll be damned,” Brenuin said. ”Divines sure smile on you, Lucia, to be adopted by such a wealthy fellow. He even did me a favor once, y’know, despite being so rich. Thought they were all snobs, those ’Altmer’, but he seems like a good fellow.”

”Pa is very kind,” Lucia said. ”He’s adopted all of us.”

”Sure, whatever,” Brenuin said dismissively. ”But I fear you’re out of luck today, girl. The Dragonborn’s already left. Saw him walking past the marketplace hours ago. Didn’t even have the time to ask him for some gold. Practically rushed out the gate he did, with that housecarl girl of his.” He continued under his breath. ”Sure wish she’d accidentally blocked the door for him again… could’ve caught up to him and gotten enough for some ale…”

”Pa is gone!?” Lucia asked. ”But-but… where did he go? We really need to find him!”

”Yea, he definitely told me all of his travel plans,” Brenuin said sarcastically. ”Sorry girl, I dunno any more than you.”

”There you are! Finally! Come on, we need to get out of here!” An urgent, anxious voice came from behind them. Braith felt something tug at her sleeve. She turned around and saw Saja.

”How did you get here?” Aventus asked, dumbfounded.

”You didn’t honestly think those guards could keep me out, did you?” The Khajiit smirked, despite her harrowed look. ”I climbed the walls, but we really need to leave.”

”Brenuin, this is Saja. She is my sister too,” Lucia said to the confused beggar. 

”Dammit, and here I thought I was drunk seeing a Khajiit inside the town,” Brenuin said. ”I suppose I should go do something about that. Be seeing you, Lucia,” he said and started in the direction of the inn.

Braith was just about to explain to Saja what they had learned when someone started screaming. ”Talos the mighty! Talos the UNERRING! Talos the UNASSAILABLE! **TO YOU WE GIVE PRAISE!!** ” All four of the children startled and turned to the priest who had just appeared in front of the statue of Talos. With surprising speed the priest rushed past them and grabbed a passing guard by the scruff of his armor. ”We are but **MAGGOTS** , writhing in the **FILTH** of our own **CORRUPTION!** ” he shook the guard violently, spittle flying from his mouth. ”While you have ascended from the **DUUUUUING** of mortality, **AND NOW WALK AMONG THE STARS!!!** ” The priest shoved the guard down the stairs to the Pains District and ran back to the statue, still screaming at the top of his lungs.

The four children silently decided to slink away. Braith led them to the behind the Hall of the Dead. It was one of her old hiding spots since when she lived here. No one ever disturbed her there. They huddled up in a ring. ”Pa is already gone,” Aventus said. ”Apparently he left hours ago with Lydia. She must have come here to tell him about the kidnapping.”

”And we don’t know where he went either,” Lucia said glumly. ”Do you think the Jarl will tell us if we ask?”

”There is no way we will even get to see they Jarl,” Braith said. ”They barely let us into the city at all! No way they will allow us up to Dragonsreach.”

”There’s more, guys,” Saja said, ears laid flat with worry. ”I really was going to wait outside, but then I saw a guard patrol return into the city. Then one of them shouted something and started chasing me. I just barely managed to run away and hide in the grass. But… I recognized his voice. He was one of those who took mother. He is here, and now he knows I’m here.”

”Then Saja is right, we can’t stay here,” Lucia whispered. ”If he finds us we’ll be thrown out for sure!”

”But… if he is a guard here, then he should have a bed in the barracks,” Braith mused. She had seen the inside of the barracks a few times when she had beaten up Lars and the guards took her there. ”Maybe there is something in there that can tell us where he is keeping mother.”

”No way we can get inside the barracks without getting in trouble though,” Lucia said. ”And if we get caught… I don’t think they’d just throw us out. Breaking into the barracks is an actual crime, you know?”

”Not if we don’t get caught,” Saja said. ”and Khajiit can walk very quietly. If we waited until night…”

”Are you sure?” Aventus asked. ”This is not some small prank you know.”

”But this is our only lead,” Braith argued. ”If Saja really thinks can, then I think she should try.”

”Are you really sure about this?” Lucia took Saja’s paws in her hands. ”Really, really sure?” 

Saja nodded. ”I want my mom back.”

 

 

*****

 

The four of them sat huddled behind the Hall of the Dead for hours. Braith made to leave one time, but upon seeing a couple of patrolling guards she felt all her confidence melt away. She slunk back to her siblings. They barely dared to speak. Aventus and Braith came to a silent agreement to stay near the two corners of the building, keeping a lookout for the prowling guard. Saja should not need to worry about anything except for her coming mission and Lucia sat leaned against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chin, her eyes darting between her toes and Saja. Hunger began to gnaw after an hour. Braith especially suffered from it. She had lived all her life with people who kept food on her table whereas the others, being orphaned for some time in their lives, had been used to hunger. Braith did her best not let it sap her alertness.

At long last, the sun began to set and the shadows of Whiterun stretch long. As Masser and Secunda bathed the city in their pale light, the four children crept out of their hiding spot. There were still guards out of course, but they mostly kept to the roads, so the four of them had many shadowy nooks and crannies to hide in. Before long, they stood by the forges and anvils outside Warmaiden’s, looking at barrack’s door. ”Okay, we’ll keep a lookout from here,” Braith whispered. Aventus and Lucia nodded.

”Divines guide you, sister,” Lucia whispered as Saja slunk up to the Barrack's door and quietly slipped in. 

Time stretched on. Somehow, this time felt even longer than the many hours they had huddled behind the Hall of the dead. Every shadow seemed to whisper. Every time the guards passed by the barracks on their rounds the children barely dared to breath. Braith felt her heart pounding against her ribcage. She felt her hands shake. She clenched them to stop it. ”Come on, Saja, come on…” she whispered. 

She saw Lucia sit on her knees. ”Kyne, keep her steps silent, please. Please, watch over my sister…” There were small tears on her cheeks and her clasped hands were white from the force she squeezed with. Aventus stood leaned against a pillar, his eyes darting this way and that. His fingers twitched by his sides, grasping for the daggers that were not there. His tongue moistened his lips every other second. 

A guard entered the main gate. All three of them froze up. Even in the murky half-light, Braith recognized one of the men who had taken her mother. The man went into the barracks with urgent steps. Braith’s heart beat so fast it hurt. She kept her eyes on the barracks door, hoping every moment that Saja would come out, quiet and nimble as only she could be. 

As the seconds stretched to infinity, Braith could not make it anymore. She swallowed, took a deep breath and quickly crossed the street. She pulled up the door and came into the foyer. This is where they had kept her when she was in trouble. The sleep quarters were further in, just through another door.She quickly crossed into the main room. There were four beds there, two were occupied with sleeping men, one was empty.

The man stood bent over the other, his knee pressing Saja down on her stomach while keeping a hand over her mouth. He had his back against the door, but Braith could still see how his hand was trying to unlace Saja’s dress. His movements were jerky. 

Excited.

Braith’s heart seemed to fill with liquid fire. Suppressing her urge to scream out a challenge to the repulsive man, she instead grabbed a heavy stoneware plate and smashed it over the guard’s head as hard as she possibly could. It broke with a sound to wake up the dead. The guard screamed and lost his balance. No longer stuck, Saja bit his hand and wriggled free with a dexterity no human could match. The guard turned to stare at them, hatred blazing in his dazed eyes. ”I’ll make you regret that, you little bitch!” he hissed and pulled out his sword. ”I’ll have you on your knees! GUARDS! WE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED!”

Both the other guards stirred in their beds, but neither Braith nor Saja saw much of them; they were both running as fast as their dresses allowed. Sobs of terror and revulsion fought themselves up through Braith’s throat, but she clenched her teeth. She would not cry. She would not cry! They nearly ran into Aventus and Lucia in the foyer. ”What happened!?” Aventus asked, wide-eyed and jumpy.

”Move it! We can’t let them catch us!” Braith’s voice was choppy, several octaves higher than usual. She was afraid. 

She was terrified. 

So she ran. And her siblings ran with her out of the city. 

”Halt right there!” Both the guards outside the main gate moved to stop them, but Braith was many times more afraid of what was behind her than the guards in front of her. Without a moment’s hesitation, she rushed at the leftmost guard, who froze up in shock from being assaulted by a little girl. She slammed into his armor and sent him to the ground. Aventus caught on to her idea and kicked the remaining guard in the knee when he was distracted. The guard crumpled with a grunt. Aventus must have his some old injury or something for his kick to have such an effect. 

”We must get to our horses!” Lucia screamed, her older sister’s panic affecting her too. They left the two guards and ran, but their pursuers were right at their heels. The would-be rapist had recovered and was sprinting after them. Braith heard his heavy footfalls. She chanced a look back.

He looked gargantuan, like a Daedric prince himself, summoned from the darkest pit of Oblivion. His sword glittered with malice in the moonlight. The cloak billowed like liquid shadow behind him. The Whiterun crest on his shield seemed like a real, living mountain lion, mouth open to devour her. 

Braith’s courage broke. She cried in fear and pumped more energy into her panicked flight. But he still gained on her, he was a grown man and only needed one step where she needed three! His footsteps sounded like a mammoth was thundering after her. ”I’ll… fuck you bloody, you little redguard bitch,” she heard him whisper between clenched teeth. 

She felt his hand grasping after her dress. 

She dove forward in primal panic, anything to get away from one who wanted to hurt her. She closed her eyes and cried. She was going to fall on the ground, and he would be over her. 

She was airborne. She fell. 

She fell for half a second before she landed in soft dirt. Confused, she looked up and saw she had jumped straight off the edge of the rampart leading up to Whiterun. What’s more, her horse stood just a few steps away, looking at her. She heard her siblings land nearby and rush to their mounts.

Braith found her bearings again, just as she heard a heavy thud behind her. She scrambled forward and half ran half crawled to her horse. She all but leaped onto it. ”Get me out of here! GET ME OUT!” She screamed and spurred her horse as hard as she could. She was off with a jolt and bent down to hold onto the pommel for dear life. ”Divines help me,” she whispered between her sobs. ”Akatosh, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Stendarr…!” She mumbled the name of every deity she knew. She kept her eyes shut as hard as she could as if to hide from the entire world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most authors love feedback.


	4. Chapter Four- Songs

They rode on until Braith’s legs were raw from the saddle and her fingers had stiffened from the death grip around the pommel. She had not even bothered holding the reins, not caring where the horse went, as long as it took her away. She just kept her eyes shut and tried to calm her racing heart.

”Aventus, we need to stop,” Lucia said. ”I can’t ride any longer… it hurts.”

”Khajiit agrees,” Saja said. ”Out here they won’t find us, and we’ll have to sleep eventually. It’s a small miracle we haven’t been attacked by wolves or something already.” 

”I suppose you’re right,” Aventus said. There were a few seconds of silence. ”That looks like a good spot. Come on.” 

Still filled with fear, Braith opened her eyes and saw her siblings dismounting their ponies and haul the saddlebags in between two rocks piled up against a steep cliff face, forming a somewhat hidden, protected basin between them. Braith dismounted and removed the saddlebags from her horse too before leaving the animal to rest and graze. When she came in among the rocks, Aventus was already picking together small stones and pieces of wood for a makeshift fireplace, and Lucia was digging around in her saddlebag for something. Saja sat by the rock face, sapphire eyes wide and afraid. Braith sat down next to her. 

They both knew what had almost happened, and tried their best to take solace in the other’s company. ”He… he almost…” Saja whispered, her tail swishing this way and that. ”If you hadn’t come he would-”

”Don’t say it,” Braith whispered back. ”I don’t want to… I can’t think of it.”

Saja nodded. ”Thanks… thank you,” she whispered instead. ”Khajiit never thought she’d have a sister… who’d risk everything for her…” Saja’s breath came short and choppy, tears pooled in her eyes. Braith felt her own eyes moisten at the display. Saja shifted and buried her head in Braith’s chest, shaking and heaving with sobs. Braith could feel Saja’s claws digging into her shoulders, but she did not mind. She too needed someone to hold. 

Saja was soft. Braith liked holding the softness, the warmth of another person. It felt… protective somehow. She was not alone. Together, the two of them cried out their terror, each clinging to the other for strength. 

”Thank you,” Saja whispered again, he head still buried in Braith’s chest. ”Thank you, forever and ever.”

Braith did not trust her own voice to bear. She just nodded.

”Braith…?” Lucia’s threadbare voice reached through the many layers of fear and touched something in her. Even now, Braith marshaled just a little bit of confidence for her crybaby younger sister. She was Pa’s little Dovah. It was her duty to look after Lucia. She had to be strong for her. She looked up from Saja and met Lucia’s eyes. ”Did… did you bring any food?”

”Yea… a little,” Braith said. ”Just some bread and cheese.” She only now remembered how hungry she was. 

Aventus was unpacking his own saddlebags, withdrawing some pieces of dried goat meat and baked potatoes wrapped in linen. Not a lot, but more than Braith herself had. Lucia turned up four honey-nut treats and a sweet roll. ”Khajiit also packed something… in the bottom of my saddlebag,” Saja said, still without letting go of Braith. Lucia went to fetch whatever Saja had packed.

”Cooked chicken,” she said. ”And… oh! But we aren’t allowed…” Lucia extracted a rotund bottle, proudly labeled ”Sam’s Spiced Wine”. Somehow, despite everything, Braith managed a small smile. Some things never changed.

”I don’t think anyone is going to stop us, sister,” Aventus said. ”Think you can start a fire? I’m freezing.”

”But what if they are looking for us?” Saja asked. Braith felt her claws extend further into her shoulder. ”They’ll see us!”

”No choice,” Aventus said. ”The nights out in the tundra are dreadfully cold. Besides, we need the fire to keep wild animals away.”

”They aren’t going to find us,” Lucia said. ”fire or no, these boulders will cover us, and there are several hills around us too. We didn’t follow any road, or even a game trail when we rode here. We’ll be safe.” Braith doubted Lucia was half as certain as she sounded, but Saja did not need to know that. 

”Okay,” Saja whispered. 

Lucia nodded and crouched by the branches Aventus had scavenged. Her had glittered before a small flame shot from it and ignited the branches. Before long, the basin was illuminated in a cozy, orange glow. Saja had extracted herself from Braith, and the four of them huddled up near the fire.

Aventus dished out the sparse meal they had. Two third’s baked potato and half a piece of chicken and goat for everyone, with a piece of bread and Eidar Cheese.

”Thanks,” Braith said with a small smile when Lucia handed her a honey-nut treat. She could not remember ever being happier for having Lucia with her than when she took the sweet, sticky treat. 

”You are so brave, Braith,” Lucia said shyly. ”It makes me feel… a little safer. Thank you.”

”Why are _you_ thanking me?” Braith asked as she took a bite of her honey-nut treat.

”I just think that if it had been me going into the barracks, you would have come for me too,” Lucia said.

An image of Lucia caught by the guard flashed through Braith’s mind, and suddenly the food seemed to revolt in her stomach. It was not that she loved Lucia more than Saja, but at least Braith knew that Saja could fight back. Lucia though… Braith did not know if she could. She would have screamed and cried and begged, but could Lucia have done anything? Braith could not bare to think of her sister being… no, she could not even think that word.

A fresh wave of tears hit her, and before she could assemble a calm facade, she had caught Lucia in a powerful hug. It was the first time Braith had ever hugged her little sister. ”I won’t let them touch you, sister. Or any of you,” she whispered, feeling Lucia’s soft, blonde hair on her cheek. 

”And I know I speak for all of us when I say we won’t let anything happen to you, Braith,” Aventus said. He put a hand on her shoulder.

”Khajiit suggests a toast to that,” Saja said, a bit of her usual rascality finding its way into her voice. Before any of the other could protest, she took up the bottle and pulled out the cork. ”To my brave sisters and brother, who I know will never hesitate to save me.” She put the flask to her mouth and tipped her head backwards, taking a gulp.

Aventus reached out, and Saja handed him the bottle. He raised it proudly to the heavens. ”To all of you, for being the sisters I never had, and a family to love even after I lost everything.” He took a swig of wine, then passed the bottle to Braith. 

It felt heavier than she thought it would be. ”To… For you being here with me, despite me being so difficult sometimes. For you coming with me to look for mommy. Thank you.” She put the bottle to her lips and tilted it back. 

The wine was sweet, unlike anything she had ever tasted. It seemed to envelop her tongue, and when she swallowed, the liquid seemed to collect in her gullet like a homely fire. 

She gave the bottle to Lucia, who tentatively took it in both her hands. ”Uhm… to your bravery. All of you are so brave. I know that when you are around, somehow all will turn out okay.” Lucia only took a small sip, but Braith saw her eyes light up and her lips curl into a small smile nonetheless. Lucia put the bottle down next to her. 

The four of them sat silent for a little while. It felt… nice, all things considered. No matter what happened, Braith knew she would never see her siblings quite the same way again.

Small tones of music strummed to her left. Braith looked up to see Lucia holding the small lute her father had given her for the anniversary of her adoption. Normally Braith was annoyed when Lucia practiced, but now she found herself liking the sound. Even more so when she recognized the melody Lucia was playing. If there was one thing the four of them had always agreed on, it was that the song Lucia played was the best song in the whole wide world.

To most of Skyrim it was a hymn to their legendary hero. To the four of them, it was so much more. Lucia began to sing, her voice as soft as Mara’s herself.

 

_Our hero our hero_

_Claims a warrior’s heart_  

_I tell you, I tell you_

_The Dragonborn comes_

_With a voice wielding power_

_Of the ancient Nord arts_

_Believe, believe_

_The Dragonborn comes_

_It’s an end to the evil_

_Of all Skyrim’s foes_

_Beware, beware_

_The Dragonborn comes_

_For the darkness has passed_

_And the legend yet grows_  

_You’ll know, you’ll know_

_The Dragonborn’s come_

 

Lucia hummed gently to the instrumental part of the song. The rest of them listened. When she took up the song again, the others were with her.

 

_Dragonborn, Dragonborn_

_By his honor is sworn_

_To keep evil forever at bay_

_And the fierce foe rout_

_When they hear triumph’s shout_

_Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray._

 

The four children looked at one another, a silent agreement in their eyes. Lucia continued playing, and the others continued singing for a second verse. One very special to them.

 

_Our father, our father_

_Claims a radiant love_

_I tell you, I tell you_

_The Dragonborn comes_  

_With a voice baring laughter_

_To calm weary hearts_

_Believe, believe_

_The Dragonborn comes_

_It’s an end to our lonesome_

_An end to our tears_

_Rejoice, rejoice_

_The Dragonborn comes_

 

Braith began to sing stronger, until the others silenced and listened to her. It was not only because of her belligerent nature she was nicknamed the ”Little Dovah”. It was also because she was the only one who had asked to learn bits and pieces of the ancient language. Especially for this song..

 

_Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin_

_Naal ok zin los vahriin_

_Wah dein vokul_

_Mahfaeraak ahst vaal_

_Ahrk fin norok paal graan_

_Fod nust hon zindro zaan_

_Dovahkiin_

_Fah hin kogaan mu draal._

 

And for the final tones of their song, they sang together the one truth that could always comfort them:

 

_We know, we know_

_Our father, he’s come_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is a bit on the short side, but since the next one is the longest in my story it all works out. Also, I would not be surprised if this turns out to be considered cliché by the community, but since I only just returned to Skyrim after like... six years absence, my idea of what is original and not is nonexistent. So I just write whatever fits for my story. 
> 
> Most Authors love feedback.


	5. Chapter five- Halted Steam Camp

When the sun rose and started shining in Braith’s face, she realized that she must have fallen asleep at some point after their song. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The first thing she noted was how cold she was. She hugged herself for warmth while cursing herself for not putting on her armor and linen tunic before going to bed. Now she was not only cold, but had also slept in, and ruined, one of her favorite dresses.

”Braith? Are you awake?” Aventus asked. He and Saja sat by one another, talking silently. In front of them Aventus had a map of Skyrim, evidently retrieved from his saddlebags.

Braith sat up and tried to smooth out the mess that was her hair. ”Yea.”

”Saja says she found something in the barracks,” Aventus explained. ”And we think we have found out where they have taken mother.”

Any residue tiredness was immediately expelled to Oblivion. Braith stood up and went over to the two of them. She looked down at the map and was surprised to see Aventus had actually ”burrowed” father's own map, complete with innumerable markings and names. ”Where? What did you find Saja?”

”A small note,” Saja explained. ”I could not steal it, but when he tried to… he did not think about where I looked, so I could read it. His note called out a place called Halted Stream Camp. It said to hide someone there until the other place was ready.”

”That means we got to hurry,” Aventus said. ”Once ’the other place’ is ready, they might move mom there.”

”But we don’t know where Halted Stream Camp is,” Braith protested. ”I have never heard it once in my life.”

”But Pa has. He has been all over Skyrim.” Aventus pointed at a small symbol north of Whiterun. ”Including to Halted Stream Camp.”

Braith looked closer, and true enough, underneath the small cross-like symbol was written in Pa’s impeccable penmanship: Halted Stream Camp. Underneath was another name, written in Aldmeris, his native language. Braith guessed it must simply be a translation.  ”Okay, but where are we now?” Braith asked. ”We can’t get there unless we know where we are now, right?”

”I don’t know exactly, but based on where the sun rose and the direction of Whiterun, I’d say we are somewhere around here.” Aventus pointed at the relatively blank space between Whiterun and Rorikstead. ”If you climb the rocks, you can see Dragonsreach in that direction,” Aventus explained and pointed. Braith decided not to question him. 

”Okay, then we need to hurry,” Braith said.She went over to where her little sister slept and gently woke her up. ”Hey, Lucia? Would you share that Sweet Roll of yours? I think that’s the only breakfast we have.”

Just fifteen minutes later, they had eaten their small pieces of sweet roll and a had little bit of wine to drink. Aventus went out of the camp to change into his armor, leaving Saja and Braith to do the same. Lucia packed up their makeshift camp and saddled their ponies. Braith was the last one ready, so when she was done the others had already mounted their horses, Lucia in sidesaddle as usual. Aventus studied the map.

”Okay Aventus, you are the one who knows where we are going, so lead the way,” Braith said and climbed up on her horse. 

Aventus nodded. ”I think I know where we are.” He rolled up the map and carefully put it down in his saddlebag. ”Follow me.” Contrary to Braith’s intuition, he did not take them north, which she had though he would. Instead he led them, back towards Whiterun. They rode on for a few minutes before turning northwest. 

”That’s it. It’s got to be,” Aventus said after maybe half an hours travel. Not a moment too soon according to Braith; the flight yesterday had left her inner thighs badly bruised from the saddle. A while away, huddled up against a cliffside was a palisade. Braith could see figures walking about around it, and at least one archer sat on the rampart. ”I don’t know how to get in though…”

”Let’s leave the horses here and see if we can sneak closer,” Braith said and hopped off her horse. She did not let anyone see how disheartened she was. She was not so stupid as to think they could break through an actual palisade. But she was not going to give up! The divines did not guide them this far only for them to give up! 

Braith soon realized that whoever was up on the rampart, they were not very good at their job. In fact, it looked like he was reading or something. The four children silently darted from rock to rock, shrubbery to shrubbery. Eventually they had circled the camp and sat behind a small hill close to the cliff the camp was built against. They could only see one bandit from this spot. He stood by one of the camp’s gates. 

”We need to get rid of that sentry if we want to sneak in,” Braith whispered, despite being much too far away for the bandits to hear her if she talked normally. 

”But… we can’t kill him, right?” Lucia whispered back. ”We aren’t murderers…”

”Killing a person can solve many problems sometimes,” Aventus replied. ”Else I’d still be stuck in Honorhall and have boiling water poured on my hands.”

”Maybe we could just knock him out?” Saja suggested. ”Or Khajiit could try to shoot…”

”Either way we need to get closer,” Braith said. While a normal bow could easily kill from this range, Saja was but a young Khajiit and could notdraw a normal bow. Hers was smaller. It was still dangerous, but with a much reduced range. Braith kept her eyes on the bandit and silently crept around the hill, closer to the palisade. 

The earth broke under her foot. Confused, she looked down just as the earth crumbled apart and fell into a hole. The bottom of it was covered with spikes, upturned and red with blood. She tried to compensate her weight, swaying for a moment before she tipped forward. She screamed and flailed for something to hold onto, but there was nothing but loose dirt that broke under her fingers. She fell head first down into the hole. She saw the jagged spikes rushing closer and the only thing she could do was to close her eyes. 

Then she jerked to a halt fast enough for her shoulders to hit the inside of her armor painfully hard. When she opened her eyes, she found her nose dangling a hand’s breadth over one of the spikes. Twisting her body as well as she could in her armor, she managed to glance upwards. 

Aventus, Saja and Lucia had managed to catch one of her legs and were now holding on for dear life. ”Get me up! Get me up!” Braith squeaked and tried to remain still. She could see them struggling with her weight already. She was armored and had the heavy sword on her back. Furthermore they could not support themselves on the ground near the hole. They had seen how weak it was. 

”You’ve got to help,” Aventus said with a strained voice. ”Push off against the spikes!” 

Twisting around, Braith reached down and tried to push. It was an awkward motion, as her armor was not really made to support it. Still, it was enough for her siblings to slowly lift her out of the hole.

”Hey, come on already, something’s fallen into the trap,” a raw, rough voice said. 

”With that scream it’s bound to be another merchant,” a woman said in typical Nord accent. ”Hopefully they’ve got some good septims too.”

The panic somehow cleared Braith’s mind. They would never get her up before the bandits were here. She extended her hands, grabbed two spikes and kicked with her right leg, causing her siblings to loose their grip. For a moment she balanced on her hands, before she began to fall backward towards the center of the hole. There were no spikes there, so if she could only land well enough she would be okay.

She fell and felt like someone had beaten her lower back with a war hammer. She screamed again slid off the spikes into the clear inner part of the hole. Swallowing her sobs, she tried to crawl towards a cave entrance she saw. She still had to hide. 

”Oy, what do we have here?”

An arrow drilled itself into the ground just in front of her right hand. Braith froze up instantly. It was all she could do not to pee herself in fear. Her heart beating faster than a horse gallops, she shifted to look at the two bandits that stood by the hole and looked down on her with malicious smirks. 

”A child eh?” The male bandit said. ”Hey, girl! You worth anything?”

Braith did not know what to answer. What did they mean?

”Will anyone pay anything for ye?” The woman clarified. 

”I’m the Dragonborn’s daughter!” Braith said. She hated how afraid she sounded. ”Stay away from me or he’ll have both your heads!”

”Hah! The Dragonborn’s daughter! Out alone on the tundra picking flowers I bet!” the man laughed. ”You know what I think? I think you are just an orphan thief, running from the guards in Whiterun. So I don’t think anyone’s gonna miss you.”

”Nice armor ye got there girl,” the woman said. ”I’ll have to be careful to hit your head. Wouldn’t want to damage something valuable, would we?” The woman laughed and withdrew her bow. She took aim and began to pull the bowstring back. 

Then they both tumbled forward, the arrow flying into the wall of the pit. Braith stared with morbid fascination as the bandits, screaming for a moment, fell into their own trap. At the last moment she closed her eyes and buried her head in her hands. The sound as their bodies were impaled was enough to make her shudder. 

She did not know how long she sat like that, but eventually she lowered her hands. She refused to look at the bandits. Instead she looked up and saw Aventus with a half surprised, half determined look on his face. Only now did he lower his hands with the two daggers he had stabbed in their backs. He stared down at the bodies. 

Braith swallowed and followed his eyes. 

The bandits had fallen forward so their bodies laid suspended on the mass of poles. From Braith’s point of view she could not see much blood. The jungle of pikes obscured most of the gore. 

”Braith!” Lucia shouted and came up next to Aventus. ”Braith, are you okay!? Can you stand?” 

”Y-yea,” Braith said and tried to stand up, only to hiss in pain and fall back. The pain in her back amplified a thousand times. One of the pikes must have struck her spine when she fell. 

”Aventus, we have to help her!” Lucia peeped. ” We need to get down there!”

”No!” Braith shouted. ”I can walk, I just need a moment.” Steeling herself, she tried to move again, carefully. First she got up on all four, then pushed off to a kneeling position. Carefully she tried to pull herself up with one of the spikes.

Groaning, she fell down again. 

”Hang on! I’m coming!” Lucia said. ”Aventus, give me your hand! You’ll have to lower me down!”

”And do what?” Aventus asked. ”What can you do down there?”

”Restoration magic! I know I can do it! Magic does what I want it to do, remember? Pa said so!”

”It’s probably the best chance we have,” Saja said and grabbed Aventus around the wrist. Aventus nodded and took Lucia’s hand. Carefully Lucia crouched down and slid over the edge of the pit. 

”Grab my legs, Saja,” Aventus said and slowly laid down on the ground and put Lucia on the spikes. She let go, instead bracing herself against the walls of the pit. Quickly she climbed on the poles until she could jump into the hole were Braith still struggled to stand. 

”Easy, Braith, easy,” Lucia said. ”Lay down.” 

Braith did not object. She slumped down against the pole, struggling to control her tears. Lucia’s hands began to glitter with the telltale golden light. She was shaking, Braith could see. Lucia visibly collected herself before she began to hum silently. It was the same song from last night, and as she hummed, the light snaked out from her palms and gently caressed Braith’s battered body. It felt like she was stripped naked and bound up in the softest wool sheets. A soft gasp of relief left Braith’s lips at the warm, snug glow. The searing feeling in her back subsided first to a stinging sensation, then a dull ache, and finally she could not feel anything at all.

”That’s enough, Lucia,” she said and pulled herself up carefully. It was easy now; even the bruises on her legs were gone. Lucia smiled weakly, but she did not get up herself. Only now did Braith notice how pale Lucia had become from her healing. ”You okay?”

”Yea… I’ll be fine,” Lucia said. ”Never used this much magic before… just give me a moment.”

Braith nodded and looked around. The walls were steep and crumbling. Even without her armor she would never be able to reach the edge, even if there were not scores of pikes underneath to impale her if she failed. ”I don’t think we are going to get up the same way we came down,” she said. 

”Hang on, Braith, we’re coming down! No way you and Lucia are going into that cave alone!” Aventus called. ”Saja, take my hands.”

Repeating what they had done to get Lucia down, Aventus could lower himself down into the hole to Braith and Lucia. ”Okay, Saja! Are you sure about this?”

”Piece of cake,” Saja said and backed from the hole. Before Braith even understood what she was doing, Saja ran towards them and jumped out over the spikes, clearing them with good margin. She fell towards them, and Aventus caught her, even if it sent him to the ground. Saja stood up, none worse for the wear than if she had jumped out of bed in the morning. 

Braith drew her ebony sword. ”We can’t get back up, so we might as well go forward.” 

”Right behind you, sister,” Aventus said. He held his daggers ready. Saja helped Lucia to stand. Together the four children went into the dark cave. 

 

 

*****

 

 

The first thing that struck Braith was the smell. It was heavy, metallic in her nose. The entire cave reeked of blood.

”I don’t like this,” Lucia whispered. ”I really don’t like this at all.”

The light was strange, dim and glowing from a clay lantern that hung askew from the roof. Braith carefully stalked forward, sword ready. 

”Stop!” Aventus hissed, and Braith froze immediately. ”Take a step back, Braith, carefully.”

Braith looked down and saw a slim tripwire just in front of her foot. She stepped back and carefully prodded it with the flat end of her sword. Trailing the wire, she saw it run up the wall and to the clay lantern. ”It’s rigged to make the lantern fall,” she whispered. 

”Khajiit will take care of it,” Saja whispered back and withdrew the bow. ”Back away.” Braith and Aventus, who were both in front of Saja, scuffled to get past her in the narrow tunnel. She lined up her shot and sent the arrow flying with a ”twang!” It struck the lantern head on. 

The lantern swayed before the wire snapped and sent it to the ground where it promptly broke, spilling oil everywhere the moment before it ignited. Fire lit up the tunnel and adding the smell of smoke to the stench in the cave. Braith shuddered at the thought of the lantern falling onto her, which it may well have if Aventus had not warned her. 

Fortunately, the oil quickly burnt away, letting them continue further into the cave. Braith cut the tripwire with her sword and led them down a sandy slope. The tunnel bent slightly, and Braith hid behind the corner before peeking out. 

Of all things she had expected, this was not it. The cave widened into a large cavern, and in the middle of it laid a whole mammoth in a pool of its own blood. Next to it, with their backs to her, stood two bandits with bloody woodcutter’s axes, even if they had swords on their backs too. Her siblings came up next to Braith and peeked out too. 

”Khajiit doubts even she could sneak past,” Saja asked, clutching her bow.

”For people who would have killed my sister, I’m not all for sneaking any longer,” Aventus said. ”Hey, look on the floor.”

Braith looked where he was pointing. The ground nearby the mammoth was shimmering in hues of purple, brown and red. Only now did she notice that behind the heavy scent of blood, there was an undertone of something else, something chemical. ”Lamp oil,” Aventus whispered. ”Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Braith?”

”I think so, Aventus,” Braith said. The four pulled back behind the corner and huddled up.

”Lucia, you up for it?” Aventus asked.

”Up for what?” Lucia asked quietly, looking to her brother with a confused expression. 

”You know fire spells, right?” Braith explained. ”If you set fire to the oil we could have them all out of here or killed in a moment. Then we can look for mom in peace.”

Lucia peeked out again. ”No. I can’t reach from here. They will catch me and… I don’t want to die.” Lucia hung her head. ”I’m sorry I’m not as brave as you, Braith.”

”Khajiit has a better idea,” Saja said and patted Lucia on her head. She pulled out an arrow. ”Just heat this up, and I can shoot it into the oil. So you don’t have to sneak over there.”

Lucia bit her lips. ”Okay, I can do that.” Still a bit shaky from her previous use of magic, Lucia lifted her right hand and formed a small flame between her fingers. ”Put the arrowhead in here.”

Saja carefully inserted the glass arrowhead in Lucia’s flame and held it still. It did not take long before Lucia’s hands began to shake, sweat breaking forth on her forehead. Braith did not know much about magic, but she did know that Pa had always said Lucia was an early bloomer. Still, early bloomer or not, Lucia’s magic was still in its infancy, and Braith had a feeling she had already used more magic than ever before in her life. ”Come on, Lucia, I know you can do it,” Braith whispered and took Lucia’s left hand in hers and squeezed. ”I know you can. I know you are not a crybaby anymore.” 

Lucia visibly panted, but the arrowhead had taken on a shade of cherry red by the time her fire went out. The moment it did, Saja barely had the time to remove the arrowhead before Lucia’s hand fell to her side and nearly touched the red-hot malachite. With a moan, Lucia put a hand to her forehead and leaned back against the cave wall. ”I can’t anymore,” she said. 

”It will be enough,” Saja said and crept forward, the red arrow nocked. Braith and Aventus peeked out just as Saja let the arrow fly.

”Hmm?” was the last thing the two bandits said before the fire caught. Braith had expected it to start burning. She had not expected the oil to practically explode, but that’s what it did, sending violet bursts everywhere. A heat wave struck her with almost physical power, causing her to scream and put her hands over her face. The leftover fire crackled and snapped angrily, searching for more fuel, but eventually the conflagration settled, leaving only the charred corpses of two bandits and a singed mammoth. Braith felt woozy just from the stench, vaguely reminiscent of the grilled meat she loved back home, but charred and dry in her nose. 

She stood up and nearly gagged from the smell. Sword heightened, she stepped out towards the open cave. 

A metallic clink sounded under her foot.

A groan sounded ahead of her. She looked up

A gigantic mammoth skull swung from the roof, tusks forward to skewer her. 

”DOWN!” Aventus called and roughly tackled her hard enough to send her straight into the cave wall. She landed heavily and with a clatter from her armor. She could see the great tusks swish past her nose so close she felt the airflow. Avenuts did not have the same luck. He stood right between the tusks, so he was not skewered, but the skull still hit him in the side hard enough to send him crashing into the wall.

”Aventus!” Saja shouted and quickly looked over him.

Aventus did not answer. He fell limp on the ground.

”AVENTUS!” Lucia shrieked and stumbled to her brother’s side. ”AVENTUS! SAY SOMETHING!”

Saja pulled the hysterical Lucia away and put her paw against Aventus’s neck. ”Fainted,” she said, the relief in her voice palpable. ”Must have hit his head.” Lucia shuddered from head to toe and slumped back against the wall, huddling up in a small ball. 

Braith had heard from Pa that people, when their minds became too stressed could go into a condition he called ”shock”. Braith had never seen it, but she still knew that Lucia could not handle any more strain right now. The wolf attack, the panic in Whiterun, her extremely strenuous magic, and now her brother was unresponsive.She was past her limit and shut down, shuddering and heaving with tears. Braith could hear her whisper frantically. 

Braith blushed in shame. This was the third time Aventus had saved her from a trap. How could she have made the same mistake three times? How could she have gotten Aventus hurt and Lucia shell-shocked because of her stupidity!?

”I will… kill you for this!” 

Braith turned and looked past the hanging mammoth skull. In the charred destruction stood a heavyset orc with a two handed sword. He wore studded leather breeches, but his chest was naked and bulky, swelling with muscles. ”No one kills my pals without paying for it! Come out here and greet your deaths!”

”Wait here,” Braith hissed to Saja. ”Take care of Aventus and Lucia.” Swallowing her fear and sending a quick prayer to Akatosh, Braith stepped out into the cave, sword drawn. 

”Huh, there is something in your eyes, kid,” the orc said. His fanged mouth stretched in a smile. ”There is fear in your eyes.”

Braith did not answer, but raised her sword horizontally in front of her face, her preferred starting stance. She was afraid, but somehow, her mind felt sharper than ever before. Every lesson Lydia had ever given her, ever advice on every detail, seemed to flow into her memory. More than that, knowing that her family depended on her, really needed her now, heightened her focus. She looked at the orc’s sword. She did not need to see his head, or his eyes, or his muscular arms. She only needed to see where his sword was. Her ears heard more of his taunts, but her brain did not register them. The room around her did not exist. He did not exist. 

Only the sword was real. That sword was all there was, all that mattered. 

The orc roared and swung the massive steel sword diagonally lop Braith’s head off. 

She was not stupid enough to even try to block. Even during their training practices, Lydia could often get through the with sheer force of her swings, and she was holding back. This orc was clearly not holding back. Instead, Braith jumped backwards, causing the blade to miss her. 

_When you are fighting an enemy with greater reach than you, let him or her make the first move, block it and strike when he is recovering._

Lydia’s advice echoed in her mind. Braith made to swing her sword at the bandit, only to be interrupted by a heavy, armored boot that struck her with all the power of a horse’s kick in the chest. She barely held on to her sword as she was sent tumbling over the rocky floor. She came to a stop by the blood-soaked mammoth. The orc rushed after her, sword pointed forward as if to impale her. Gathering her wits, she threw herself to the side, feeling the cold steel rush past her cheek and sink deep into the mammoth. 

Braith made to stand. ”Stay down so I can skewer you!” The orc roared and hit her in the stomach with an armored glove. Braith crumpled around the blow, feeling like her insides had been crushed to paste. She coughed violently, standing on all fours. The orc pulled with a roar, and his now blood-coated sword slid out of the mammoth. He raised it in the air, point downwards to plunge it into her back. 

Her vision was muddled by tears and her ears were ringing with indescribable noises, but Braith nonetheless understood she could not stay still. 

_In combat, the most important part of you is not your hands, Braith, but your feet. When your feet stops, your heart is soon to follow._

She groaned and dashed forward, straight between the orc’s legs the very moment before the sword came down. ”Huh?” the orc grunted. Clenching her eyes for the pain in her stomach, she finally swung her sword against the orc’s back when he was still turned. 

”Oh, no you don’t!” The orc spat and whirled around much faster than someone his size should have been able to, knocking Braith’s sword away with his iron clad gauntlet. Braith tried to hold on, but the sword was heavy for her under normal circumstances, and her grip was not strong enough. With a clatter, the night-black sword was sent flying over the cave floor. With a creak of tortured wood, the bandit pulled his own sword loose. 

Braith stared at him, her hands empty. Her heart felt like a little bird trying to escape her ribcage. ”Kneel down, girl, and I’ll make it quick,” the orc said. ”No point in it hurting to die.”

”I won’t die!” Braith screamed, defiance and fear mixing equally in her voice. She shouted just as much to herself as to her enemy. ”I’m Pa’s little Dovah!”

”I like your sprit, girl,” the bandit said. ”I’ve killed older men and mer who did not half the guts you do. Pity you must die!” He stepped forward and swung his blade low, evidently trying to slash her belly open. 

She could not doge backwards. His reach was too long. 

She could not duck, or he would take off her head. 

She could not jump, or both her legs would be sliced off at the knees. 

She could not dodge to the sides. The strike was too fast. 

…

Braith leaped forward, screaming. She could not escape, but the center of gravity was much far out on the blade. The closer to the orc she was, the less the force his strike would have. 

Still, the blade sunk into the armor and the tender flesh of her side. It felt like someone had stabbed an icicle through her. Her scream of defiance turned into one of unimaginable pain. Still, carried forward by her momentum, she put her arms around the bandit and heaved him towards her. With his wide slice, he had overextended his reach. Braith was weak from her injury, but the force was still enough to trip the bandit forward. Braith grimaced and stumbled aside from the bandit, tears burning in her eyes and every step eliciting a sob of pain from her throat. 

If she was going to have any chance, she needed her sword. 

Half blind with tears it was hard to spot, but she managed to see the edge gleam in the dim torchlight. She heard the bandit crawl up behind her as she bent down. 

Her fingers felt numb and cold. In fact, her entire body felt clammy, and nowhere more than her side. Glancing down, she saw her entire right side and leg was glistering in blood, still welling profusely from the wound. 

She began to feel lightheaded. Undulating blackness swam at the edges of her vision. Her right hand closed around the hilt, then with a groan her legs gave out. She slumped down in a kneeling position, her head spinning just from the motion. Instinctively, she pressed her left hand to the wound, trying and failing to keep it from bleeding. Her blood felt hot and sticky as it leaked through the gauntlet. 

She heard heavy steps behind her. She heard how he lifted the sword. 

Groaning again, Braith let herself fall forward, under the blade. She felt the very tip of the bandit’s sword open a tiny gash in her neck.

”I’m not… dying,” Braith whispered and with a Herculean show of strength, she flopped from standing on all fours to laying on her back, swinging the sword with all the power she had left in her body. 

Who knows if it was Divine intervention or random chance that ensured the bandit was just within reach for her blade? Whatever the case may be, the razor-sharp sword effortlessly sliced through his powerful chest and belly. Braith’s hand lost the sword and she was left laying on her back, breathing shallowly and crying in pain, the last of her strength well and truly spent. Her thoughts lost coherence. The blood pulsed from her wound all over her left hand. Accompanied by the bandit’s death-scream, she took one last shuddering breath, and the little Dovah closed her eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most authors love feedback.


	6. Chapter Six- The Journey Continues

Sweetness. Soft velvet sweetness, almost like honey but much less viscous.

Gradually, her senses began to return, though she would have preferred they did not. The stench of blood was suffocating, cloying her nose and forcing a grimace to her lips. Her ears were filled with indiscernible, maddening mumbles. She wanted to bash her head against a table to get them out of her mind, but she did not have the strength to move. The sweet taste was wonderful, but it had subsided and left only an ashen, metallic taste in her mouth. She needed to drink. She understood that, or she would die from thirst. Just breathing made her throat sting from draught.

The sense of touch was the worst. Her side still felt like on fire, and her entire right leg felt stiff from the coagulated blood that coated both the inside and outside of the armor. She was completely drenched in sweat, her hair plastered on her face.

Slowly, more dead than alive, Braith opened her eyes. 

”Sister,” Saja whispered and hugged her tight, shaking with sobs. ”I thought- I though-!”

”Aventus… Lucia?” Braith rasped as her memory began to fall back into her mind. ”Are… are they okay?”

”We are, thanks to you,” Aventus’s voice said. Inclining her head slightly, Braith saw him coming from the other side of the room, where an iron gate was now thoroughly barricaded. ”Saja said the mammoth skull hit me, and I passed out. Said I came to after a few minutes. I’ve been trying to block off the door since.”

Braith began to feel stronger, somehow. She cleared her throat, but ended up coughing wildly instead. Small, pale and shaking hands put a tankard of water to her lips. Braith drank greedily. ”Thanks.” Steeling herself, Braith asked Saja. ”What happened to me? Am I… Am I dead?”

”No,” Lucia whispered. ”Thank the divines no.”

”When the bandit died, I ran out here to help you,” Saja said. ”But your wound was too deep. You were…” Saja’s ears flopped down. ”I thought you were dead. But the bandit… he said there was a healing potion in the chest up there.” Saja pointed somewhere outside Braith’s field of vision. ”He said that I should tell you that it was a good death, if you survived.”

”What?” Braith whispered. She felt a little better now. The wound still stung, but it had gone from feeling like she was being eaten alive by a skeever to a pounding ache, which was a step in the right direction. ”Good death?”

”An Orc thing,” Aventus said. ”I can only guess he realized he was dead, and told Saja how to save you. I suppose it didn't matter to him if you lived or died.”

”But there are bad news too,” Saja said. ”Mommy is not here. Or, not anymore, at least.”

”But she was?” Braith asked, swallowing, she managed to lift herself so that she sat up on her own. Lucia immediately caught her in a hug, crying both in relief and fear. Braith hugged her back. 

”Yea,” Aventus said. ”Saja has looked around. She found a note detailing the payment the bandits would get to hold her here for a night. A thousand septims.”

”And then I found this,” Saja continued and heaved forward heavy bag of gold coins. ”I haven’t counted, but the bandits can never have gotten this fortune anywhere else.”

”They didn’t say where they took mother?” Braith said, anger and, though she tried to keep it hidden, panic in her voice. ”But we don’t have anymore clues! We must learn where she is!”

”I think I have an idea,” Aventus said. ”It’s really just a guess, but if you look in this bag with the gold… Saja, hold it up.” Saja held the bag up for Aventus, who put his left hand under it and then slapped it repeatedly with his right. Some dust fell from it. ”This is not sand like from this cave. I shook out most of it before, but it was covered in mortar.” Aventus showed the gray dust in his hand. Braith could see that it was, indeed, mortar. Not that the discovery made her much wiser.

”I was thinking,” Aventus said, ”that since Pa was sent to kill renegade mages at Fellglow keep just before Mom was taken, that maybe some mages survived or something and took her for revenge.”

Lucia gasped. ”The paralysis spell! Braith said they hit mom with a paralysis spell when they took her! No ordinary bandit knows that spell, it’s really advanced alteration magic! They must be professional mages!”

”You know that better than I do,” Aventus said. ”But it only backs up this idea. If we are going to look anywhere else, I think we should investigate Fellglow Keep. And thanks to Pa’s map, finding it won’t be difficult.”

Grunting, Braith found her feet and managed to stand up, helped by Aventus. ”We still need to find a way out of here first though. I don’t know if we can fight down the bandits outside… that last guy was pretty tough. But there is nobody I won’t fight!” Braith hurried to clarify. 

”Khajiit don’t think that will be necessary…” Saja said and held up a coil of rope from one of the shelves lining the cave. ”I’m sure I can climb out of the hole and tie this to a rock or something.”

"If you stood on my shoulders... then maybe," Aventus mused. "I guess it's worth a shot."

 

*****

 

 

”Fellglow Keep…” Aventus said.

Braith had expected a castle as high as Dragonsreach, constructed from pitch-black stone with braziers and spikes decorating every tower, skulls mounted on pikes outside and with strange light flickering behind blackened windows. There would also be a perpetual thunderstorm around the keep and tortured screams of a thousand innocent souls could be heard from every barred window. 

What she saw was barely worth being called a ruin, let alone a keep. There was only one intact tower, and that one was built half inside the cliff face. Another tower still stood, but her vantage point revealed that only half the tower was actually intact. The whole backside of the tower had crumbled, leaving only a piece of the outer wall. Other than that, there were pieces of masonry, arches and battlements strewed about what once was a courtyard, but other than that there was not much standing. 

It was still inhabited though. A figure in black robes was wandering on the crumbling walkways. Even from her vantage point behind dense bush, she could see the telltale glow of magic dancing between his or her fingers. ”How do we get in?” Braith whispered to her siblings. ”The main door?”

”I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Lucia said. ”They will see us for sure if we try. Isn’t there some back door or something?”

”This is a keep,” Aventus explained. ”They don’t want more entrances than whats necessary. But on the other hand, I agree that the main door is probably not a good idea.”

”Wait here. Khajiit will have a look around,” Saja said and stood up. Her tail swished around for a few seconds while she waited for her chance. Then, once one of the robed figures turned their back towards her, Saja rushed over the open space and ducked in underneath a piece of overturned masonry. None of the mages reacted. Much like a cat, her footsteps were practically soundless.

”What is she doing?” Lucia peeped as Saja withdrew her bow. ”Is she going to shoot them? But we don’t know if they have mother yet! Maybe they aren’t bad mages! We can’t just shoot them!” 

”Quiet!” Braith snapped. ”You’ll give us away.”

Lucia silenced, looking hurt. They saw Saja nocking an arrow, peek over the masonry piece and fire, straight out on the floor, far away from anything. The arrow landed in a small pond of water. The closest mage, standing onto of a ruined tower, visibly startled and whirled towards the sound.

”Hello! Who’s there!?”

Saja beckoned them from behind her overturned masonry. 

”Quickly!” Braith whispered and started running towards Saja, trying to keep an eye both on the ground as to not stumble, but also on the mage in the tower. The distraction would not last long. She half crouched, half threw herself in behind the masonry followed by Aventus and Lucia.

The four of them peeked up over the masonry. Braith, Saja and Aventus gasped. Lucia moaned quietly. 

In front of them was… something? A womanly figure made out of fire and charcoal-black pieces of metal lazily glided over the grass. The fire was fluid somehow, like it was more liquid than anything else. They could even hear how the creature crackled and snapped like their hearth at home. 

”What in Oblivion is _that_?” Braith whispered, still without taking her eyes off the unnatural thing. It indolently preformed a backflip and then continued to glide forward. 

”It must be an Atronach,” Lucia said. ”Mom has told me about them. They are creatures of Oblivion, summoned by mages.” She swallowed. ”She… she said they were daedra.”

”Daedra?” Aventus asked. ”You mean like… a real daedra?”

Braith felt her heart rate quicken. When she was small, her old mother sometimes told her stories of daedra. How they feasted from great tables set with the corpses of men and mer alike, how they would drink blood from cups made of skulls. Sometimes, if Braith did not do her chores, her mother would threaten her with the daedra taking her away to eat her. Those nights Braith never slept but kept a candle lit by her bedside as she huddled under the covers.

”Khajiit does not think we can get past it,” Saja said. Braith agreed. Men she could handle. She knew what they were. Even if they could hurt her, she knew at least that men could be killed. She could not fight a daedra. The moment she tried, the fire creature would cook her in her armor and devour her. She was sure of it.

The creature stopped and lazily twirled. Then it started gliding towards their hiding place. All four of them quickly hid. Braith realized she did not even know if the daedra needed sight to find them. For all she knew it could sense their souls or something.

”What do we do?” Lucia asked. ”We can’t let that thing see us! We don’t stand a chance against a daedra!”

”We need to run,” Braith said. She hated those words, but now there was no choice. She looked around, all too aware that her time was running out fast. 

Her eyes settled on a nearby hole where the floor of the ruined tower had crumbled. It was practically just underneath the mage Saja had distracted. Braith stopped the thought there. They had no other choice. They had to get away from here!  ”There!” She shouted and rushed up, out of her coverage. 

The daedra reacted faster than any human would. With a surge of light and heat, it extended a hand and launched a bolt of fire after her. Whirling around, she saw the fire rushing towards her and instinctively held up her arm. The fire bolt exploded in embers and heat. Braith screamed, it felt like the arm under her armor was being fried. Another fireball rushed at her and she ducked underneath it. They were not as fast as she had feared they would be. 

”Who’s there!?” A voice came from above her. Looking up momentarily, she saw the mage looking down. Sparks gleamed in his palm. Then he shouted and crumbled, an arrow sticking out ofhis shoulder. 

”Move it!” Saja shouted and sent another arrow towards the atronach. Braith could almost hear the creature laugh as the arrow caught fire and crumbled to ash. The fire daedra raised its hands again and Braith jumped aside. She was the last one to jump into the hole. It sloped downwards, and at the bottom was a door. Lucia beaconed her and Saja through before she and Aventus slammed the door shut, cloaking them in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, this chapter is basically here because I could not shove it into the end of the last one, and I did not want to make the next one annoyingly long either, so this sort of just fell in between. It is the chapter I am the least pleased with (the next one is the one I am the most pleased with). 
> 
> Most authors love feedback.


	7. Chapter Seven- Underneath Fellgolw Keep

The four children pushed against the door for dear life. Braith’s hands began to hurt from how hard she held it shut. She could hear Lucia cry next to her. It spurred her to keep on holding the door shut against the monster outside. 

Eventually, after a good ten minutes without any attempt by the monster or the mage to open the door, they carefully sat down. Braith knew that her siblings were afraid, even if the darkness concealed their features. Braith was afraid too. She was just a girl, how could she, or any of them, hope to deal with a creature hailing from Oblivion itself?

They couldn’t. They were trapped down here. And they all knew it. 

Braith pushed her doubts away and drew her sword, standing up. ”The daedra does not follow us,” she said, hoping it was true. ”We aren’t going back out that way, so the only way we can go now is forward. To mother.”

”Right. To mother,” Aventus said. He stood up too, almost invisible in the compact darkness. ”Lucia, do you think you can make us some light?”

”Y-yea, I think so,” Lucia said. Her voice still quivered. A flash of light lit up the narrow corridor they were in before it went out. In the brief light, Braith could see how Lucia’s hands were shaking and how pale she looked. ”Uh… just give me a moment…” Lucia said.

”Calm down,” Braith said and put a hand on Lucia’s shoulder. ”I’ll keep you safe, sister. Okay?”

”We all will, Lucia,” Aventus said. ”Nothing bad will happen to you, or any of us. I promise.”

”Thanks,” Lucia said. Braith liked to think she sounded a little less afraid. 

A glittering sphere of light formed between Lucia’s hands and rose to a bit above her head, casting a cold, crisp light over the surrounding tunnel. 

Aventus and Braith nodded to each other and started forward, each one holding their weapons. Saja fell in behind them, an arrow nocked. Lucia came last. If it came to blows, she would need their protection the most.

Braith crouched and peeked behind the corridors corner. Lucia’s light did not reach, so the darkness was nearly absolute. But she could see something.

Two black, beady eyes sparkled in the darkness. Braith shrieked and fell backwards from the shrill squeak that emitted from the tunnel. She brought up her blade just as a gigantic, bloody and misshapen skeever skidded around the corner and jumped at her, yellow fangs bared and eyes bloodshot. Braith brought up her blade, but she did not need it. 

Aventus stood just beside her and swung his dagger straight into the repulsive thing’s side, knocking it straight into a wall and holding it there until it stopped moving. 

”Thanks,” Braith said once her mind had processed what had happened. She stood up again.

”I hate skeevers,” Aventus said silently and wiped his dagger.

They continued forward and saw another skeever darting away into the darkness. For whatever reason, watching it disappearing was almost worse than seeing it attack her. If it attacked then at least she knew where it was and could do something about it. Now it could be lurking somewhere behind the rocks or the overturned furniture, just waiting to jump out at her when she least expected it. Its teeth… if it came at her from behind and bit her in the neck…

Braith shook her head and took a better grip around her sword. 

”Khajiit thinks there is water up ahead,” Saja said. ”Can you hear?”

Everyone stopped and listened. It was faint, but there was an unmistakable lapping sound up ahead. ”I think you’re right,” Braith said and carefully stalked forward. They did not have to go far before they could see the blank, black water surface filling the corridor. The water was murky, black as ink even in Lucia’s conjured light.

”Are you even sure we can reach the bottom?” Lucia said nervously. ”Maybe the daedra did not bother chasing us down here because it knows we can’t escape this way?” 

”Well we can’t go back,” Braith said and sat down by the surface. She carefully dipped her feet in. It was cold and she felt her armored boot and sock become heavier, but it was not much deeper than her ankle. ”It’s fine.”

”No, Braith, wait,” Aventus said. ”Give me your hand.”

”Why? I need both hands for my sword,” Braith said as she carefully prodded the bottom ahead with her right foot.

”Because I can't see the bottom and I don't want either of us to trip. Give me your hand.”

Braith hesitated for a moment, but then she gave in. She could not deny she would like someone to hold her hand right about now. ”Fine,” she said and sheathed her sword. Aventus took her hand. 

It deepened quickly. Before long she had water up to her navel, and she was freezing. She knew she was squeezing Aventus’s hand hard now, but she could not help it. She could feel how heavy her submerged part of the body was, clad in armor and warm clothing.

The light suddenly went out.

Braith froze up and tried to retrace her last step. She put her foot on a slanted, algae covered rock. Her foot began to slide downwards. She gasped and tried to compensate for the sudden lack of balance, but ended up slipping backwards. 

”I’ve got you!” Aventus said and caught her as she fell. She did not slip beneath the surface, but she still fell backwards so that she had water up to her chest. The cold was enough to make her shiver. She kicked and slipped with her legs in her attempt to find her footing again and flailed with her other hand for anything to hold, but in the pitch blackness it was impossible to find purchase. 

Then with a flash, the light returned and Braith pulled herself up with the help of an old wood beam.She was still shivering and her armor felt like it was made of lead, but Aventus’s had saved her from the worst of it. 

”Sorry,” Lucia whispered. 

”It’s fine,” Braith whispered back. ”But try to warn us next time, okay?”

They continued to slog through the water, both Saja and Lucia holding hands now too. The first room they came to was empty, but also did not elevate the floor. In fact, as they continued into the next room, the water only rose. Braith was a rather large girl, and she still had water up to her lower chest. Aventus fared about the same, but both Lucia and Saja were struggling. Neither of them were very tall, and the water already went almost to their shoulders. Normally they would both have swum, but their armor and clothing prevented it.

”H-how much longer?” Saja asked through clattering teeth. ”I don’t think I can continue much longer… Khajiit is freezing her tail off.”

”I can hardly stand here,” Lucia added. ”If I step into a hole I won’t touch the bottom.”

”Braith, this is too dangerous,” Aventus said. He pointed to a pile of rocks that rose a little bit above the water level. ”Come on, let’s get up there and rest a little while.”

Braith nodded. ”Yea… maybe we should leave our armor? If we need to swim…?”

”I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Aventus said. ”But let’s see.”

Continuing carefully, the four siblings climbed up on the stone pile. It was a tight fit for the four of them, but at this point they were all just glad to be out of the water. They sat there, panting and freezing. Their drenched equipment was nearly immovable outside of the water’s extra lift.

”I’ll try to swim ahead,” Lucia said. ”My clothes are light enough that I can carry them.”

”That’s too dangerous,” Aventus said. ”We don’t know whats ahead, and in this cold water you can’t swim for very long.”

”Well I can’t continue like this and I can’t go back. And I’m not going to stay here either, so I’ve only got one option,” Lucia snapped back with surprising heat in her voice. ”Now look away.” Lucia sat down to unlace her boots and Braith respectfully looked away. They were sisters, so she had seen Lucia naked before when they bathed together in the lake at summer, but they were still only adopted sisters, so it never really felt comfortable. Braith heard Lucia step into the water and take a few tentative strokes. Given how black the water was, Braith turned to look. 

Lucia was already nearly out of the room. Before long, they saw her turn around a bend and vanish, her conjured light disappearing with her.

The rest of them waited. 

A scream shattered the silence and sent them all jumping to their feet. 

”Come out, little girl! You can’t hide back there forever!”

”Go away! Leave me in peace!”

The last voice was Lucia’s.

”Damn it!” Aventus swore. ”Braith, you take Saja on your back! I’ll follow you and make sure you don’t fall!”

”Okay,” Braith said. There was no time to argue. Saja agreed and climbed so she rode in piggyback. Braith already felt afraid stepping into the water like this. With Saja’s extra weight balancing would be even harder, and Braith also would need both her hands to hold Saja steady, so she could not use them to help either. 

None of this stopped her from walking back into the dark water as fast as she could. Lucia screamed again and a red light flashed from the other side of the bend. Braith hurried, miraculously avoiding the pits in the ground. She reached the bend and peeked around it. 

Two mages stood on a rampart overlooking a water filled portion of the room. There was a staircase up to them on the furthest corner from their entrance. In the middle of the room stood an intact stone pillar with a narrow ornament jutting out over the water. Balancing precariously on it was Lucia, still dripping wet with her waterlogged clothes in her hands to cover herself with. The pillar prevented the mages from hitting her. Braith was lucky they were both completely focused on trying to find an angle to hit Lucia from, as they did not notice her and Saja.

”Come out, girl!” One of the mages called and sent a lance of ice against the pillar. It passed no more than a hand’s breadth from Lucia’s side, causing the terrified girl to startle and nearly loose her balance.

”Sister, can you hold me steady?” Saja whispered. 

”I think so?” Braith said, more a question than a statement. 

”Khajiit trusts you then. Try to hold still.” Saja said and, much to Braith’s terror, she sifted from her piggyback position. Nimble as a cat, she put both her hands on Braith’s shoulders and pushed off, lifting herself. Braith hissed in discomfort. ”hold my legs,” Saja said, and Braith felt Saja’s feet and legs slip over her shoulders. Braith finally caught on to Saja’s idea and grabbed both her legs firmly. Saja had managed to shift her position from piggyback until she was on Braith’s shoulders. Saja reached for her bow. 

Lucia saw them and caught on the their idea, she quickly peeked out behind the pillar, drawing the mages’ attention away from Saja and Braith. 

”Whatever you do, don’t miss,” Braith whispered as Saja drew back the bowstring. 

Saja did not answer, but held the bow still to aim. 

Braith did not really see the arrow, but only a black streak and a ”twang!” as it left the bow. One of the mages doubled over in pain, the arrow sticking out of his stomach. 

”What!?” The other mage shouted. ”Where…?” He jumped in behind an overturned table. Saja sent another arrow against the wounded mage, ending his struggle. 

”You okay, Braith?” Aventus asked. 

”Yea,” she replied. ”I’m fine. Go help Lucia.”

Aventus nodded and started to wade over to Lucia’s pillar.

A light soared overhead, struck the wall next to Braith and stayed there, illuminating her and Saja. 

”There you are!” The mage shouted. ”You will suffer at my hands!” The mage dove back behind the table again. 

He poked out his hand and a bolt of lightning snaked from it and struck the water’s surface. 

Braith had seen electricity, of course. Both her parents used it at times for their magical experiments, and when they all sat back home during a thunderstorm she could see the lightning snake over the sky. Braith really did not know what electricity was, but she suspected it was some sort of raw magical force. She had never before touched electricity, though. 

The feeling was indescribable. It was not exactly pain, but still just as unbearable. Her entire body felt like it went haywire, spasming and shaking and burning somehow. Braith screamed and just barely managed to remain upright. Her knees buckled but she forced herself to remain standing. Saja screeched with pain and dropped her bow in the water.

The unbearable sensation was gone just as soon as it appeared. Braith panted and stared into the water surface. She could see her reflection stare back. 

Her shanking was not only due to the cold. She was afraid, she saw, afraid and in pain.

Looking up, her vision was blurry, but she could see that Aventus had managed to climb up next to Lucia, who stared in terror at Braith and Saja. 

The mage looked up behind his table. He sneered malevolently. ”Fire, frost and lightning! You cannot conceive the power I wield!” His hands sparked again. Driven half mad with fear, Braith stumbled forward towards the pillar. She could not stand another blast like the last one, but at least she could bring Saja to safety. 

The electroshock hit her with all the power of a horse’s kick. She opened her mouth, but all that left it was a tired wheeze. Her vision blacked and she felt herself fall forward. The water smacked her in the face like a cold, wet glove. It almost felt good. She heaved Saja forward and then began to sink, pulled down by the weight of her glass armor and sword. She flailed on the bottom, trying to find purchase on the rocky ground, but the slick stones offered her spastic arms noting to hold. Her lungs already ached. The blast had knocked the wind out of her. She opened her mouth. Cold, black water rushed into her lungs. She felt like she was frozen from the inside out.

”I’m… drowning…? No! nonono!” Braith thought, panicking. "I don't want to die!" Her movements felt clumsy, her vision was swirling blackness. It was painful. More so than anything she had ever felt. "I don't want to die! _I don't want to die!_ " She tried to breathe again, her brain fully knowing she was killing herself, but her body's logic was unyielding. Her arms felt heavy. She couldn't move. 

Bubbles erupted in her vision. A pale, small hand lifted her face. 

She stared at Lucia. She could not hear anything underwater, but she could see Lucia’s lips move. 

”Breathe,” Lucia seemed to whisper, or pray. ”Breathe.”

Braith tried to shake her head, but that was far beyond her abilities now. 

Lucia’s hand glittered. She jammed it in Braith’s face. ”BREATHE!”

Braith drew a deep breath of water, her vision clearing. She breathed again. Oh, wonderful oxygen! Lucia managed a threadbare smile and then promptly fainted. ”NO!” Braith tied to scream, though it only came out as a stream of bubbles. She grabbed her little sister and pushed her back up to the surface. Braith was absently aware that she was, in fact, breathing underwater, but right now she did not care. Her sister was in danger! She broke the water surface and sputtered as she choked on the air. ”Take her,” Braith hissed to Saja. 

”No you don’t!” screamed Aventus and flung a dagger at the mage behind the table as he poked his hand out for another lightning blast. The mage quickly retreated behind the table again. ”Saja, you need to get you bow back. I’ve only got one more dagger.

”Leave him to me,” Braith said. ”Just keep him occupied for a few more seconds.” Without waiting for an answer, Braith plunged into the water again and started crawling over the bottom. She did not know what Lucia had done to her, but she knew that the mage would never see her in the black water. Carefully she made her way to where she could feel the staircase. She braced herself and pulled out her sword, then she rushed out of the water as fast as she could up the stairs. 

She caught the mage’s surprised look as she swiped at him with the sword. But the water filled armor made her heavy and slow. She missed. He backed out behind the table and readied a lightning spell.

Braith had just enough time to be afraid before the tendrils struck her. Her body locked up and she screamed and choked on the air. This was worse than in the water because now she suffered a direct hit. She felt like her entire body was slowly bursting apart. She crumbled to her knees and curled up in fetal position, trying desperately to prevent her head from being struck. It did not work. She felt like her brain was being boiled inside her skull, like her head was going to explode.

Lucia’s spell prevented her from breathing air. She was choking, screaming, crying.

Dying.

”DON’T TOUCH MY SISTER!” Aventus screamed somewhere, and the lightning stopped. Through the colorful sparks that filled her vision, Braith saw the Nettlebane sticking out of the mage’s shoulder. Tapping into reserves she never knew she owned, she pushed off against the ground and half jumped half fell forward, her sword raised. The mage’s blood felt hot on her hand as it squirted from his stomach where she impaled him.

She landed on her knees and looked over to Aventus and Saja. ”Water…” she whispered, before she slumped forward and fell on her stomach. She gasped for air that did not help her. She was drowning again, drowning in air. She spasmed and gasped like a fish on dry land.

Saja rushed towards her, wading throughout the water. Aventus took the still unconscious Lucia on his back. Braith felt herself being dragged by her legs over the floor. Every step of the stair hurt her when her head hit it, but it got her to the water. On shaking arms and legs, Saja lifted her and put her head under the surface. Braith took a deep breath. She laid like that until the shakes subsided and left a hollow, stinging sensation all over her body. It was the worst in her chest where the bolts had struck her. 

”How are you, Braith?” Aventus asked carefully and sat down next to her. She held her ears above the surface, who she could hear. 

”It… hurts. And I don’t know when Lucia’s spell will wear off,” Braith said. ”I didn’t know she knew water-breathing spells.”

”I don’t think she did either,” Aventus said and sighed. ”Saja is looking after her. She has woken up, but she is very weak. Can hardly even stand.” 

”I hope we find mommy soon,” Braith said. ”I didn’t think… it would be this hard. If I did, I’d never have gone to look for her.”

”I know Braith. I know.” He took her hand. It felt nice to have someone there. It felt nice to know her family still was with her even after all this. 

Braith heard a dragging sound behind her and tiredly lifted her head from the water to look. Lucia was slung over Saja’s shoulders, barely awake from what Braith could see. Saja kept her supported and her head lolled to the side. Her eyes were almost closed.

”Braith…” Lucia’s voice was barely more than a whisper. ”Magic… wear off. Empty… lungs… water…” she groaned.

”Right,” Aventus said. ”Braith, can you breathe up here now?”

Braith carefully tried. It felt like she was trying to breathe thorough a straw. But she did not choke any longer. ”A little bit,” she said and took a gulp of water again.

”Good. You need to get all the water up from your lungs before the spell wears off, else you will drown again,” Aventus said. ”Or, at least that’s what I think Lucia said.” A weak nod confirmed his idea.

It was an uncomfortable process, being forced to cough up more water than any human could have in their lungs while hardly being able to breathe. It took the better part of a half hour too before the spell had fully worn off. She absently wondered why no other mage came down here, but she was glad they did not. If they did, she knew they’d all probably die.

”We can’t stay here,” Aventus said once Braith could breathe again. ”No one will come to look for us here. We need to find mommy, or a way out. And with the daedra behind us, the only way is forward.”

Braith fought back the tears. She did not want to continue. She just wanted to come home to her parents and Meeko and the housecarls. Standing with the help of her sword, she put on a brave face and went up to the door. Saja had retrieved her bow, but she still held the still barely conscious Lucia and would not have much use of it. It was all Lucia could do to limp slightly. Without her sister for support, Braith doubted she could take many steps. Sending a prayer to Akatosh, Braith pushed open the next door.

They stumbled into another illuminated room, thankfully without any water. There were three levers in the middle, and one of them had been flipped. One of three cells were likewise open. Next to it laid a body of a mage. He was bleeding from both ears, but Braith could care less. In the open cell sat a dark elf, her wrists chained to the wall and clad only in her nightgown from several nights ago. 

And in front of her sat a hooded man with both his arms around her, kissing her deeply. She was crying.

Braith screamed in repulsion and boundless fury, pulled out her sword to cut off the filthy bandit’s head. She stumbled at him without the slightest care for her own safety or surroundings. All she knew was that this man had to die!

” _Zun-Haal-Viik!_ ”

Braith felt like her wrists were being crushed. Her sword… it was like invisible hands had grabbed it and yanked it out of her grip. With a whimper the ebony blade flew from her hands and into the shadows. The bandit stood and stepped forward quickly, and suddenly Braith had a glittering, nearly white sword pointed at her throat. Its crossbar shone like the sun. In the bandit’s other hand crackled bolts of lightning, but these were much more intense than the ones the other mage had held. These ones looked like a miniature thunderstorm contained in the bandit’s hand. Braith stared, slack-jawed and terrified at her enemy. What had he done? Was this how she died?

Was it going to hurt? Please, let it be quick at least.

”Sweet Mara…” A very familiar voice said. Braith could almost hear her jaw hit the floor. She looked up and saw her father, his face just as surprised as she felt. ”Braith… Little Dovah? But… how-?”

”Papa!” Lucia screamed in a broken voice and stumbled past Braith. She fell on her knees before she reached him, but crawled the rest of the way to hug one of his legs. ”Papa! Never leave me again! Please never leave me again!” she screamed, weeping and shaking with emotion, clutching the hem of his travel cloak so hard her knuckles whitened. 

”Sweethearts…?” Mommy whispered with a threadbare voice. ”Are… are you here too?” 

Upon hearing her parents’ voices, Braith’s tough exterior collapsed like a house of cards. She fell in her father’s arms, weeping just as loud as her sister. She drank in the familiar scent of his clothes and squeezed even harder. She never wanted to let go. Right now, she did not want to be a little Dovah. Right now, she just wanted to be a terrified little girl. She wanted someone to hold her, protect her, and tell her that everything was going to be alright. She felt herself being lifted up and carried over to her mother together with Lucia. Only her father was strong enough to carry them both at the same time.

She did not know when Aventus or Saja came up to them, but before long, all four of them sat next to their parents. Crying from relief that their grueling adventure was finally over. Everything would be alright. Braith knew it. And it only made her cry even louder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most authors love feedback.


	8. Chapter Eight- The Little Dovah’s Battle

She cried into her moma and papa until she felt all empty. Her parents had just sat and cooed them back to calm with reassuring whispers, songs and by just hugging them close. Now Braith and her siblings sat by the cell wall to recover a little bit. None of them still let go of their parents’ hands. 

”How did you find me?” Mommy asked. She held Lucia’s head against her bosom, gently stroking her hair. 

”I asked the Thieves Guild for assistance,” Papa said. ”They owe me some favors, we might say. Well, one favor less, now. But I still can’t for the life of me understand where you all came from. I gave Lydia orders to return home and tell you all I would find mommy. How did you even find out she was here?”

”Can… can we talk about it some other time?” Lucia mumbled. ”I can’t… I don’t want to talk about it now.”

”Of course, sweetheart.” Mommy kissed Lucia’s forehead. ”We’ll talk about it whenever you are ready.”

”Perhaps it’s time we all went home then.” Papa said. ”Believe me, my housecarls are going to hear a thing or two about leaving my children alone after something like a kidnapping.” He stood up. ”Stay behind me, sweethearts. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I know you never should have had to go through it. Let me carry your burden now, not as Dovahkiin, but as your father.”

Mother gently pushed Lucia and Saja off of her and stood up too. ”Don’t think you’ll go anywhere alone, beloved. Even if they had not attacked me three on one in my sleep, I’d still never let anyone who touches a hair on my children’s heads go unpunished.” Braith felt a warmth in her heart at those words. Those were words she never thought she would hear in her life until she was adopted.

”I love you,” papa said and kissed mother deeply. When they separated, he threw open a door. 

At least a dozen bandits and mages stared at her parents. ”The law demands I ask you all to surrender and face the Jarl’s justice, but I really would prefer to just kill you all here and now,” Papa said and pulled out his gleaming sword. Braith had never seen Dawnbreaker look half as beautiful before. 

”The whore is free! Catch her, we still haven’t gotten the ransom!” Someone shouted. Each and every bandit scrambled to their feet and reached for their weapons.

”Thank you.” Father took Dawnbreaker in both his hands and held it horizontally. Then he inhaled. ” _Wuld-!_ ” Braith did not see what happened next. One moment he was there, at least five bandits rushing at him, and in the next he was gone, leaving only a bright streak trailing through the air. ”- _Nah-Kest!_ ” Then he appeared again, at the very end of the room, and the five bandits all collapsed in a screaming pile, lacking both arms and hands, mortally wounded like a sword had slashed straight through them all without caring for armor, muscles, bones or shields. 

Five men in less than a moment? Braith had heard of papa’s fearsome power from the housecarls, but this display showed her a whole new dimension of the words. 

”Come, you dwellers in the dark. Rally to my call!” Mother called and heightened her palm. In front of her, a strange, purple flame-like… hole? appeared. A hole in reality itself. A figure in dark armor stepped out. Braith stared at it and squeezed Brelyna's other hand a little harder. The creature was terrifying in its spiked armor and burning war hammer. 

” _You’ll meet your end, mortal!_ ” The creature screamed with a strange, distorted voice and swung a massive battle hammer in an overhead strike, crushing a bandit’s skull to paste in a single blow. Without the slightest pause, the creature charged its next victim, eagerly supported by barrage of fireballs from her mother. The daedra outside had cast fire after Braith, but compared to what mother was doing its attack looked like a match next to a forest fire. Mother’s fireballs were larger, faster, and they exploded on impact, sending a trio of bandits flying, their clothes burning. 

A few mages began caught up to the situation. Braith saw magic dance in their hands. One of them threw a blast of fire towards father, while the other one conjured another reality-hole. A fire creature stepped out. A daedra like the one outside. 

The fire mage for his part unleashed a veritable barrage of flames into a transparent, glasslike pane her father held up with his left hand while dueling another bandit with Dawnbreaker in his right. Slowly he made his way back towards them before he delivered a mortal blow to the bandit. 

”It was a while since I got to do this with you, sweetheart,” he said and projected another pane in front of mother to absorb the daedra’s fireballs. 

”Not since when we met under Saarthal,” mother said. If Braith did not know better, she would almost have thought her parents were enjoying this. Mother held out a hand towards the fire daedra and snapped her fingers, and it stumbled back and seemed to disappear. Her own dark warrior on the other hand continued its rampage.

” Stand back, beloved.” Father said and inhaled. 

 

” ** _Fus-Ro-Dah!_** ”

 

Braith covered her ears. It sounded like the thunder had erupted just beside her. The remaining bandits, every chair, the tables and everything on them, the bedrolls and even the iron braziers lifted from the ground and was thrown across the room and straight into a wall. Bodies were crushed, wood splintered already in midair, the braziers buckled and bent, scattering hot coal everywhere. 

The silence that followed was deafening. Braith, Aventus, Saja and Lucia all a stared at the destruction, slowly tracing a completely clean path through the room. At the end of the path stood their father, wiping his sword clean. 

Now more than ever before did Braith understand the depth of her fathers powers. She had never seen them before, aside from the trick he called ”Throw Voice,” which he used at times when he was playing hide-and-seek with them. 

Tentatively, Braith and the others stepped out behind their parents andinto the room, looking around and touching the overturned mess of things as to confirm they were not just dreaming.

More than fifteen fully grown men, all armed to the teeth. And their parents had mowed them all down like a scythe does wheat. 

”What in oblivion is happening in here!?” A door opened to Braith’s left. 

Her breath caught in her throat.

He was dressed differently, now in a steel plate, helmet and ill-fitting iron gloves, but there was no mistaking him. It was the would-be rapist from Whiterun, just a few steps from her. Their eyes met.

”You!” The bandit roared and whipped out his sword and shield. 

Braith pulled out her sword. ”I’m not afraid of you!” She shouted. She did not have to be afraid. She would not be afraid of this man, this coward who attacked little girls! Braith felt her mind sharpen again, like when she met the bandit in Halted Stream Camp. The world around her seemed to slow to a crawl, existing only one heartbeat after the other. 

The bandit rushed at her, sword raised high. Braith raised her own sword horizontally and blocked his strike. She saw him move closer to bash with the shield, she sidestepped quickly, causing him to miss and overextend his reach, carried forward by his momentum. She slanted her sword, causing his blade to slide off of hers in a rain of sparks. Pulling her sword close she took the opportunity to bash him hard in the shoulder with her pommel.

”Bitch!” He screamed and whirled around, trying to smash the shield into her temple. 

” _Mid-Vur-Shaan!_ ”

She blocked with a sword too fast to see. Despite being nearly too heavy for her normally, her ebony blade suddenly felt lighter than her training sword. A look of surprise crossed her eyes, but then it was replaced with a grin. She pulled back her sword and disengaged. 

”Come on, coward! I’m here! Can’t you even win against a little girl!?” she screamed, waving her sword tauntingly.

”I will-! To Oblivion with you!” the bandit roared and slashed wildly after her. Fast as lightning, she blocked his sword and danced off to his right. With a speed no normal blade could match she pulled away her sword, angled it and stabbed him in the shoulder. He screamed and made to strike her, but found himself distracted by a terrifying creature wielding a burning war hammer. 

” _Now you suffer!_ ” The terrifying daedra roared with the strange, distorted voice. 

Braith looked at the creature for a moment before she was brought back to her battle. Her enemy was distracted, now she had the opportunity to attack. She looked to her siblings. Aventus looked ready, daggers in hand. Saja held her bow ready, tail swishing angrily and ears pointed straight back. Even Lucia looked at the bandit with clear anger in her eyes.

”Call it back mother! I’m not afraid of him! There is nobody I won’t fight!” Braith shouted, and the daedra struck the bandit hard in his stomach before it stepped away. The bandit stumbled back, shook his head and glared at Braith. 

”Do you know what I do to little girls like you?” the bandit spat. ”Huh? Do you?”

Braith did not deign him an answer, but instead lifted her sword and slashed vertically. The bandit brought up his shield to block, whereupon Braith, seeing his sword coming, changed direction with her nearly weightless blade to catch his attack. The two of them locked blades and threw their entire weight behind them. Braith clenched her teeth but was forced to take a step back. He was much stronger and heavier than her. He pressed forth, locking eyes with her. He sneered evilly. 

He did not see Aventus dash behind him. With a hateful sneer he stabbed Nettelbane into the joint between the armor trousers and chest plate. The bandit roared in fury, disengaged Braith and turned to Aventus only to receive an expertly placed arrow from behind in the knee joint, where the armor gave away to soft leather. Braith saw the arrow stick, blood gushing around it. The bandit screamed again.

”I HATE YOU!” Lucia shrieked and threw a ball of fire at the bandit, tears streaming from her eyes. ”Don’t you think I understand what you do to girls like me!? WHAT YOU ALMOST DID TO SAJA!?” Screaming like a banshee, Lucia threw fireball after fireball after fireball until the bandit’s shield began to glow red.

”I’ll kill you all!” The bandit screamed with a roar to awaken the dead. He threw his now glowing shield away and leaped at Lucia ”Starting with you!”

Braith jumped forward, perpendicular to him and slashed with her still weightless blade, severing his right hand and sending the sword clattering over the ground. The bandit shrieked and stared at his bleeding stump. He stared at Braith, real fear in his eyes. 

Then he turned and ran out the door, pulling it closed with his left hand. Braith heard how a bar fell behind it, locking the door. 

”No! He must not get away!” Braith shouted. ”The bastard must die!”

”I agree,” Papa said darkly, only now relaxing. Braith realized both he and mommy had been ready to help them at a moment’s notice. ”That was Grejmar, a wanted man in five of Skyrim’s holds. It seems you know what he is wanted for.”

”He did not get any of you, did he?” Mommy asked, the fear in her voice almost palpable. 

”He tried… he would have gotten me, if it weren’t for Braith,” Saja said, still shaking in anger. 

”There is no punishment too harsh for him,” papa said with disgust in his voice. ”But an eternity of torment in the Soul Cairn is a start. Leave him to me. Sweetheart, can you escort our little ones to safety alone?”

Mommy nodded. ”Kill him for every little girl he ever even looked at. Children, with me. We are getting out of here.”

They moved towards the door while papa rushed up a stairwell in the other end of the room. Hesitating only a moment, Braith turned around and ran after her father. 

She had to see it though to the end. This was her battle.

Not her father’s, hers. 

 

 

*****

 

 

Braith rushed up the staircase as fast as her legs would carry her. She came to a body, half its facecut off, but she hardly looked at it. She had to catch up with father. She did not know how he planned to catch the bandit, but she knew he was her only chance of doing so. 

She threw open the door at the end of the stairwell and came out at the top of a tower, the entire Whiterun hold open for her view. She saw a horse galloping from the keep at full speed with an all too familiar man on top of it. 

”There he is!” Braith screamed and pointed. Her father stood still and looked to the sky. ”What are you waiting for!? Get him!”

”There is plenty of time, Sweetheart,” papa said and turned to her. ”Tell me, why did you follow me up here? You know I can defeat him, so why are you here?”

”Because he tried to hurt my family!” Braith screamed at him. She did not care why she was here, she wanted to hunt the filthy bastard down and kill him for all he had done. ”He tried to hurt Saja! I’m not going to lose anyone ever again! Not to someone like him!!”

Braith suddenly realized she had went up to her father and was now screaming at his face. 

”I can accept that reason,” he said simply. ”I believe you are brave enough to have your wish. Stand back, little Dovah, and prepare to meet your namesake.”

Father stepped up to the edge of the tower and inhaled, then to the heavens he shouted.

 

” _OD-AH-VIING!_ ”

 

For a moment, nothing happened. 

Then something seemed to move behind the clouds. It was not a bird. It was far, _far_ larger than that. 

It soared from the sky on wings red as blood and larger than Braith’s entire house. It looked almost like a lizard of some sort, only impossibly big. It plummeted towards them with the speed of an arrow, pulling up at the last moment with a mighty heave of its blood-red wings, the ensuing winds strong enough to send Braith several steps backwards. Her father stood absolutely still, calm as ever in the presence of this… this gargantuan creature. It roared loud enough to split the sky itself asunder. Braith was almost sure she peed herself a little when she heard it. _Prepare to meet your namesake._

”A… a real dragon…?” Braith whispered. She dared not even look at it, but nor could she look away. A primal instinct told her to keep it in sight, much like a rabbit must know where the fox is. Because that was what she was, she knew. Next to a creature like this, she was just a frightened little baby rabbit, not even a meal, but a tasty little morsel. She stood rooted on the spot, to afraid to even run. She just stood frozen, hyperventilating, grasping her sword so hard it hurt.

With a rumble that shook the entire keep, the great winged beast landed on the tower and turned one of its slate-gray eyes to her father. 

” _Drem yol lok, Dovakiin. Fos hin haas?_ ” The great beast rumbled. Braith recognized it as the dragon language, but she could not discern any meaning. Even if she did know the words, the dragon’s throat warped them beyond recognition for her. 

” _Drem yol lok, Od Ah Viing. Haas pruzah, pogaan kiirre laat grind._ ” Her father replied. His speech was easier to understand. She knew ”kiirre” meant children, and ”grind” was ”meet”.

” _Fahliil kiirre?_ ” The dragon said. It sounded like a question somehow.

_”Nid. Muz kiirre, kaaz kiir.”_

_”Nust ofan reyliik. Pruzah…vahrukt,”_

” _Zok wuth kiir Braith Dohvakiir. Jul rinik ahrk zahkrii._ ” Braith heard her name and looked towards him, away from the dragon for the first time since it appeared. He gestured at her and the dragon turned to look. Since its eyes were slightly to the side of its head, she got a much too good view of the razor-sharp teeth in its mouth. Braith whimpered and backed against the wall. Its pupil alone was bigger than her fist, and every tooth could serve as a sword to her. She lifted her ebony blade at the giant beast, though she knew it was an empty threat. 

” _Briith?_ ” The dragon said, trying her name in his throat. ” _Brit… Tey?_ ” Brit meant beautiful, Braith knew, but the other word she did not understand. 

Her father laughed. ” _Geh, Brit Tey. Dii zul mal dovah._ ” Mal Dovah meant little dragon. Her father were presenting her, _her_ , a little girl, to a dragon! She felt her stomach twist in a hard knot.

The dragon appeared disturbed by this, based on the low rumble in its throat and lashing of its tail. Braith hoped it did not see how terrified she was. ” _Brit Tey ofan lot zin._ _Nid siiv mal dovah volaan, sahlo._ ”

” _Nid sahlo, Od Ah Viing. Bahlaan werid,_ ” her father said decisively. ” _Brit Tey ah bron vokul, nut krii briinah ahrk zeymah. Aal aav ek nir, yah born nol lok._ ”

” _Ek grah? Ek krii?_ ” The dragon’s eyes narrowed. 

Her father simply nodded. 

” _Pruzah. Zu’u grah-zeymahzin Brit Tey._ ”

”Perfect,” papa said. ”He has agreed to carry you to your battle.”

”What?” Braith said, positive she had misheard. ”But-but…” she opened her mouth and closed it a few times. ”But…?” she finished lamely. Her father smiled and took her hand. 

”Don’t worry, if he tries anything he will have to go through me first. Besides, don’t you want to fly? Be faster than an arrow and freer than a bird?” 

That struck a chord with her. She, much like any lonesome child, had spent a lot of time in her youth just wishing to take flight and disappear from her unloving home.

”Yea… I want that. I’m… I’m the little Dovah, I’m not afraid of anything!” Braith said, her voice gaining power as she spoke. Carefully, hesitantly, she stepped towards the gigantic dragon, her father’s protective hand on her shoulder. He cupped his hands and boosted her up on the dragon’s back, just where the throat joined the body. She was surprised that the red scales felt warm. She had expected them to feel cold like a lizard’s. Or maybe even more like a mud crab's? Her father climbed up with the help of the dragon’s many spines. 

”Climb forward. We will sit just behind his head,” father said. Braith swallowed and began to climb along the neck until she found herself behind the large horns. She grabbed hold of them for stability and saw his father reach over her shoulder with one arm to hold one of the horns himself. The other arm he put around her waist, securing her as well as one could on top of a dragon. 

”His name is Odahviing,” papa said. ”Do you know how to ask him to hunt with you?”

Braith shook her head. She could not really speak the dragon language; she only knew a handful of words that she had explicitly asked him to teach her. He leaned closer and whispered a phrase in her ear. 

”Tell him that. This is your battle, Braith. It is only fair that you give the order.”

”What does it mean?” She whispered the words a few times, trying to get some semi-correct pronunciation down.

”It means, roughly: ’unfurl, Odahviing and fly. Let my enemy know fear at your wrath’.”

Braith nodded, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she called, loud so that the dragon night hear. ” _Fundein, Od ah viing, ahrk bo! Hokoron faas hin bah!_ ”

” _Mal dovah tinvaak dovahzul…_ ” the dragon said, though Braith did not know what it meant. It lifted its great wings, and Braith grabbed the horns harder. Then, with a powerful lurch that nearly sent her straight off the dragon’s back, she was airborne, screaming and holding on for dear life. The initial climb lasted only a few seconds before Odahviing paned out, gliding through the air in a loose circle around Fellglow Keep. Gradually her screams changed character, and before long she was laughing in joy. Her father was right, this was a feeling unlike any other. She was moving faster than any other human ever had, she was sure! There was a funny, tickling sensation in the pit of her stomach. Her heart beat fast and strong. 

”The bandit disappeared to the west,” father said. ”In dovahzul the best translation I can think of is basically ’not-east’, which would be would be _Vojer._ ”

” _Vojer!_ ” Braith shouted, a joyous smile coloring her voice, and the dragon broke out of its circling and started flying due west where they had seen the bandit disappear. Carefully, Braith leaned slightly to see the tundra rush past her below. It was like a blurry collage of colors. She wondered just how much faster than a horse she was. 

She got her answer only thirty seconds later, when she spotted the bandit’s horse. It had been riding in gallop for five minutes at least, and it had taken them less than a minute to catch up. ”There! There he is! Land here!” Braith shouted to be heard in the slipstream. 

”’Golt' is the word to use, little Dovah,” father said. "It means ground."

She shouted as loud as she was able. ” _GOLT!_ ”

Odahviing must have seen the horse, because he swiveled around quickly, eliciting another squeak of laughter from Braith in the process, and landed with an earthshaking thump. Then he lifted his head and Braith felt his jaw open. 

” _YOL-TOOR-SHUL!_ ” Odahviing roared, and a searing, almost white blast of fire left his mouth and rushed into the heavens. Braith had to cover her face for the intense heat. 

When the gout of fire died down, the dragon lowered his head to the ground. Braith took the hint and dropped down on the ground. This was her battle now. 

The bandit had fallen off, his horse lying dead next to him, frightened to death. Slowly the bandit stood up. Braith pulled out her sword and took it in both her hands. It was not weightless anymore. 

The bandit turned around and started limping away as fast as he could, still feeling his earlier injuries. Braith was disgusted. She knew nords held courage as one of the highest valors. This man apparently was truly nothing more than s despicable, spineless coward. Fury filled her body and she broke into a run. A bolt of magic flew past her, striking the bandit’s back. A blueish aura gleamed around him. She was just a few steps from him. She raised her word over her shoulder.

With a savage, powerful strike, she cut the rapist’s head clean off his shoulders, his back still turned. He was not brave enough to see his death coming. 

The blue aura rushed out of his back and a silvery mist rushed with it past Braith and back to the dragon. She turned and saw her father hold a small black gem in his hand.

Looking back, Braith gave the body one last kick in the crotch. She nodded curtly, satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Rough) translations:
> 
> ”Drem yol lok, Dovakiin. Fos hin haas?” = "Greetings, Dovakiin. How is your health?"
> 
> ”Drem yol lok, Od Ah Viing. Haas pruzah, pogaan kiirre laat grind.” = "Greetings, Odahviing. My health is good. I have had children since last we met."
> 
> ”Fahliil kiirre?” = "Elf children?"
> 
> ”Nid. Muz kiirre, kaaz kiir.” = "No. Human children. Cat / Khajiit child."
> 
> ”Nust ofan reyliik. Pruzah…vahrukt.” = "They give heritage. Good... a memory."
> 
> ”Zok wuth kiir Braith Dohvakiir. Jul rinik wuld zahkrii.” = "My oldest child is Braith Dovahkiir. A human very skilled with the sword." (literally "whirlwind sword.")
> 
> ”Brit… Tey?” = Beautiful Tale. 
> 
> ”Geh, Brit Tey. Dii zul mal dovah.” "Yes, Beautiful Tale. I call her 'little dragon'." (literally "my voice little dragon")
> 
> ”Brit Tey ofan lot zin. Nid siiv mal dovah volaan, sahlo.” = "Beautiful Tale gives much honor. I don't want to find her unworthy, weak." (literally "Find little dragon intruding, weak.")
> 
> ”Nid sahlo, Od Ah Viing. Bahlaan werid. Brit Tey ah bron vokul, nust krii briinah ahrk zeymah. Aal aav ek, yah born nol lok.” = "She is not weak, Odahviing. She is worthy of her praise. Beautiful Tale is hunting an evil nord who tried to kill her sisters and brother. You may join her, seek the nord from the sky."
> 
> ”Ek grah? Ek krii?” = "Her battle? Her kill?"
> 
> ”Pruzah. Zu’u grah-zeymahzin Brit Tey.” = "Good. I am you ally, Beautiful Tale."


	9. Epilogue- The First Adventure Ends

Father leaned back in his chair in the master’s bedroom back home in Falkreath. Mother sat on the end of the bed, hands over her mouth as Braith, Aventus, Saja and Lucia finally had recounted everything they went through. Lucia had her favorite doll in her lap, and Saja was sucking on a small crystal of Moon-sugar.

”I’m… I don’t know what to say,” father said. ”That you all had to go through such an ordeal all alone. I’m sorry… as your father I should have considered your feelings much more than I did, galloping off without soothing you first… I am truly sorry, and I promise I will make it up to you, anyway I can.”

”Even if you came back it wouldn’t have helped,” Aventus said. ”We left just the morning after the kidnapping. You did not learn of it until we were already away.”

”But Khajiit will still take you up on the offer to recompense,” Saja added quickly. ”Maybe… you’d take us shopping in Solitude?”

Father laughed. ”I will take you there. But as for gold I suppose this is as good an opportunity as any to tell you…” father withdrew a small note from the inside of his cloak and handed it to Lucia, who sat the closest.

”What’s this papa?” she asked and unfurled it. 

”Read it out loud.”

”Uh… _Let it be known that the honorable Jarl Igmund of the Reach places a bounty on the bandit Grejmar Svinsson. Those interested in claiming the bounty shall present Grejmar’s head to the Steward Raerek for a reward of 2000 septims._ ”

When she finished her reading, father rose from his chair and opened the black safe nearby his bed to withdraw a large sack baring the ram emblem of Markarth. ”This is yours, 500 septims to each of you, to spend however you like. I will take you to Solitude, or any other city for that matter.”

Braith and her siblings all tore into the bag and withdrew a fistful of heavy, freshly minted coins. They all received allowance, of course, but five hundred septims… that would be more than Braith had ever owned before. Her finest dress, the one inlaid with pearls, she knew had costed three hundred. With five hundred septims she could buy… pretty much anything!

”Wonder why he was there though…” Aventus said absently. ”I mean… why would Grejmar be running with those mages in the first place?”

Father shrugged. ”My guess is they contracted him for extra muscle. Believe it or not, I think the kidnapping was just a ransom attempt, and my attack on Fellglow before was unrelated. If the kidnapping was planned for a while, it made sense they hired someone who knew how to conduct a kidnapping.”

”I’m just happy everything worked out as well as it did,” mother said with a relieved sigh. ”To think this could have happened to you all… but you really are our children I guess… born adventurers.”

Braith smiled at that. Her siblings did too.

”Well then,” father said and stood up. ”Even if you are back unharmed from the greatest adventure in your lives, that does not mean you get to stay up forever. Off to bed with you.” He turned to mother. ”And after that, I have something for you too, to show you how much I missed you.” Mother blushed. 

”What is it?” Braith asked, her interest piqued. ”Is mother getting a present? What is it, what is it?”

”I’ll tell you when you get older, Braith,” mother said patiently. ”Now off to bed with you.”

”Only if you promise to tuck me in,” Lucia said.

”I promise, sweetheart,” mother said. 

It was a compelling argument. After everything she had been through, not even Braith could say no to having her mother, her sweet, caring mother, tuck her in for the night. Saffir, her old mother, had almost never tucked her in.

The four children went up the stairs to freshen up by the washbasins in their rooms and change into their nightgowns. She and Lucia went into their room. Lucia sat her doll next to her bed while Braith doused the candles around the walls. Once they both were changed they crept into their respective beds. 

After the nights out in the cold, sleeping on the hard ground, the luxurious blanket and deer bedding felt like heaven to her. Mother silently slipped into the room and sat down next to Braith on her bed. She gently stroked her hair, instantly making the young redguard child feel a little warm in her heart. ”You’ve been very brave, Braith,” mother said. ”Braver than I ever though a child could be. I wish I could put into words how much it means to me… how much it means to me that I was so blessed by all the divines that I got to have you as a daughter.” She leaned forward and kissed Braith on her forehead. ”Thank you, Braith. Thank you for being my daughter.”

Tears broke forth in Braith’s eyes and she hugged her mother, her _real_ mother, with every ounce of strength in her body.

For those words were something Braith had always wanted to hear. 

”Sleep tight, Braith. Sweet dreams.”

”You too, mother,” she whispered between her tears.

Mother carefully extracted herself from Braith and went over to Lucia. Some minutes later, she quietly slipped out of the room to tuck in Saja and Aventus. Braith was still a bit curious about mother’s present, but she decided she was too tired to sneak up and look. Besides, if it was interesting she would see it sooner or later anyway. 

”Goodnight, Braith,” Lucia whispered from her bed.

”Good night, little sis,” Braith whispered back.

And with that, Braith Dovahkiir closed her eyes to sleep, her first great adventure together with her new family well and truly behind her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excellent job making it all the way to the end. Now, for some clarification, this story was written since I realized there were very few stories starring Braith here, and the ones I did find did not really give her a positive tale. Since she is the way she is due to negligence from her parents, I thought I would try to give her a place in the sun without entirely foregoing what we see of her in game. 
> 
> This is where I ended up. I know many things could have been fleshed out more and described better, but this was always intended to be a short story and an exercise for me in keeping things short without things feeling rushed. Let me know how I did.
> 
> After all, most authors love feedback.

**Author's Note:**

> Most authors love feedback.


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